THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 


THE  COLLECTION  OF 
NORTH  CAROLINIANA 


C813 
K36j,l 


FOR  USE  ONLY  IN 
THE  NORTH  CAROLINA  COLLECTION        j 


1 


-368 


"She  swept  him  a  courtesy  full  of  open  defiance  ani> 

ridicule." 


JOSCELYN  CHESHIRE 


A    STORY    OF    REVOLUTIONARY    DAYS 
IN   THE    CAROLINAS 


BY 


SARA  BEAUMONT  KENNEDY 


NEW  YORK 
DOUBLEDAY,   PAGE   &   CO. 

1902 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

I.  Cupid  and  Mars       .... 

n.  The  March  of  the  Continentals 

III.  Onward  to  Yalley  Forge 

IV.  The  Company  on  the  Veranda 
V.  Winding  the  Skein 

VI.  The  Fete  at  Philadelphia 

VII.  A  Dare-devil  Deed  .... 

Vni.  A  Maid's  Dream  and  the  Devil's  Wooing 

IX.  On  Monmouth  Plain        .        .        . 

X.  In  Clinton's  Tents  .... 

XI.  From  Camp  to  Prison      .        .        . 

XII.  A  Message  out  of  the  North   . 

XIII.  Dreams 

XIV.  News  of  Love  and  War  ... 
XV.  An  Awakening  and  a  INIeeting        . 

XVI.  Into  the  Jaws  of  Death   . 

XYII.  Out  of  the  Shadow  and  into  the  Sun 

XVIII.  "  Kiss  me  quick,  and  let  me  go  "     . 

XIX.  The  Wearing  of  a  Red  Rose   . 

XX.  Joscelyn's  Peril         .... 

XXI.  Trapped 


PASS 

1 

10 

20 

25 

35 

43 

56 

65 

73 

81 

93 

104 

120 

128 

141 

151 

163 

181 

192 

204 

217 


vu 


VIU 

CONTENTS. 

OBAPTEB 

PAGB 

XXTT. 

"  Search  my  Lady's  Wardrobe  ** 

.    227 

xxni. 

In  Tarleton's  Toils 

.    242 

XXIV. 

Thwarted      .... 

.    263 

XXV. 

Good-by,  Sweetheart    . 

.    278 

XXVI. 

By  the  Beleaguered  City 

.    293 

XXVII. 

Homecomings       .        .        . 

.    305 

XXVIII. 

An  Unanswered  Question    . 

.    320 

XXIX. 

The  End  of  the  Thread 

.    331 

LIST   OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


FACUJQ  PAGE 


J^'rontispiece.     "  She   swept    him    a   courtesy 
full  of  open  defiance  and  ridicule." 

•'Thus   they  passed,  with    small    parley,  the 

picket-posts."  ......       48 

"  Richard  was  dragged  along  with  the  Brit- 
ish until  their  position  was  regained "  .        81 

".  .  .  The  Prisoners  lined  up  and  answered 

to  their  names "      .         .         .         .         .         .     149 

"For  a  long  minute  he  stood  there,  trem- 
bling, horror-stricken  "    .         .         .         ,         .164 

"  'My  God,  Joscelyn,  you  will  not  give  me 

up  like  that ! '  " 226 

"  '  I  have  seen  no  human  being  save  our  party 

of  three'  " 262 

"  '  My  Heart's  prisoner  for  time  and  eternity'  "  c     331 


JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 


CHAPTEK  L 

CUPID    AND   MAES. 

"  Thy  head  is  as  full  of  quarrels  as  an  egg  is  fuU  of  meat." 

—  Shakespeare. 

TTE  threw  the  door  wide  open  and,  with  one 
-^-*-  foot  advanced  and  his  weight  on  the  other 
hip,  stood  at  pose  with  uplifted  arm  and  sword ; 
as  gallant  a  figure  as  ever  melted  a  maiden's  heart 
or  stormed  a  foeman's  citadel.  There  was  great 
suggestion  of  power  in  the  straight  limbs,  a  mar- 
vellous promise  of  strength  in  the  upward  sweep 
of  the  arm,  which,  for  a  moment,  held  the  inmates 
of  the  room  in  silence  of  admiration.  Then  an 
avalanche  of  exclamations  broke  loose. 

"  Eichard,  Kichard  ! " 

"  Master  Clevering !  " 

"  A  health  to  the  young  Continental ! " 

"  Oh,  the  new  uniform,  how  bravely  it  doth 
become  him ! " 

"  The  buff  and  blue  forever !  " 

"  What  an  air  the  coat  gives  him." 

"  And  the  breeches  have  never  a  wrinkle  in 
them.     I  have  ever  said,  my  son,  that  you  were 

1 


2  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

not  over  fair  of  feature,  but  that  the  Lord  made 
it  up  to  you  in  the  shape  o'  your  legs."  The  last 
speaker  was  his  mother,  who,  passing  behind  him, 
ran  her  fingers  caressingly  along  the  seams  of  his 
military  outfit. 

The  young  man  lowered  his  sword  and  answered 
with  a  boyish  laugh :  "  And  truly  did  the  Lord 
owe  me  a  debt  in  that  He  gave  me  not  your 
beauty,  mother." 

"  He  balanced  His  account,"  was  the  complacent 
answer,  "  for  you  are  a  fit  figure  to  please  even  a 
king." 

"JSTay,  I  care  not  to  please  the  king  —  but  the 
assembled  queens !  "  He  doffed  his  hat,  and  bowed 
with  courtly  grace  to  the  group  of  young  women 
in  the  centre  of  the  room. 

Full  of  laughter  and  chaffing  they  crowded 
about  him  —  his  sister  Betty,  her  friend  Patience 
Ruffin,  Mistress  Dorothy  Graham,  who  had  come 
in  to  learn  a  new  knitting  stitch  of  Betty,  and 
pretty  Janet  Cameron,  who  had  followed  Dorothy 
to  hear  the  gossip  which  must  necessarily  flow 
freely  where  so  many  women  were  assembled. 
Immediately  they  surrounded  the  young  soldier, 
and  there  was  much  laughter  and  talking  as  they 
relieved  him  of  his  sword  and  gun. 

"  Only  a  private  in  the  ranks,  and  yet  here  am 
I  attended  like  a  commander-in-chief,"  he  said, 
laughing.  "  Methinks  no  hero  of  olden  romance 
had  ever  such  charming  squirage.  Are  you  going 
to  give  me  your  gloves  and  fasten  your  colours  on 


CUPID   AND   MARS.  3 

my  helmet,  that  I  may  go  forth  to  battle  as  did 
the  knights  of  yore  ? " 

"  Yes ;  kill  me  a  Redcoat  for  this,"  and  Janet 
tossed  him  her  glove,  while  Dorothy  tied  a  strand 
of  the  bright  wool  from  her  knitting  ball  upon  his 
sleeve.  "  An  you  win  not  a  battle  for  each  of  us, 
you  are  no  knight  of  ours." 

But  the  fifth  girl  of  the  group,  after  one  glance 
at  him  upon  his  entrance,  had  turned  abruptly  to 
the  window  and  stood  gazing  into  the  street,  tap- 
ping the  air  to  "  King  George,  Our  Royal  Ruler  " 
upon  the  panes,  No  part  of  her  face  was  visi- 
ble, but  her  attitude  was  spirited,  and  the  poise 
of  her  head  bespoke  defiance.  Richard  Clever- 
ing's  eyes  travelled  every  few  minutes  to  that 
straight,  lithe  figure,  and  anon  he  called  out  banter- 
ingly :  — 

"Hey,  you,  there  at  the  window,  are  King 
George  and  his  army  passing  by  that  you  have  no 
eyes  for  other  folk  ? " 

"  I  would  that  they  were,"  was  the  short  answer, 
and  the  fingers  went  on  with  their  strumming. 

"  Come,  Joscelyn,  leave  off  sulking  and  see  how 
brave  Richard's  uniform  doth  make  him,"  said 
Betty,  coaxingi}'^,  eager  that  her  brother's  unspoken 
wish  should  be  gratified. 

"And  truly  doth  he  need  somewhat  to  make 
him  brave,  seeing  he  is  in  arms  against  his  king," 
Joscelyn  retorted,  but  turned  not  her  head. 

"  In  arms  against  the  king  ?  Aye,  truly  am  I ; 
and  yours  be  not  the  only  Royalist  back  I  shall 


*  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

see  'twixt  this  and  the  end  of  the  campaign, 
Mistress  Joscelyn  Cheshire." 

"Then,  forsooth,  will  they  be  in  luck  —  not 
having  you  to  look  at." 

But  the  others  had  caught  his  meaning,  and  her 
retort  was  half  lost  in  the  shout  of  laughter  that 
greeted  him. 

"  Aye,  I  warrant  me  when  the  fighting  comes 
you  will  see  the  backs  of  so  many  Eedcoats 
that  you  can  e'en  cut  their  pattern  in  the  dark," 
declared  Dorothy. 

"Then  will  his  head  be  twisted  forever  awry 
with  looking  so  much  over  his  shoulder  behind 
him." 

"My  Lady  Eoyalist's  ears  are  in  the  room 
though  her  eyes  be  elsewhere,"  laughed  Janet. 

"And  neither  is  her  tongue  paralyzed.  Turn 
about,  Joscelyn,  and  let  us  see  you  have  also  other 
power  of  motion." 

"  Not  quite  so  much  as  some  folk  who  turn  like 
a  weather-cock  in  every  gust  of  a  partisan  wind." 

Thus  the  sparring  went  on  until  the  visitors 
took  their  departure,  followed  to  the  gate  by  Mis- 
tress Clevering  and  her  daughter  for  that  one  last 
word  which  women  so  love.  Eichard  bowed 
them  out  and  closed  the  door  upon  their  backs ; 
then,  marching  straight  to  the  window,  he  placed 
himself  by  Joscelyn,  M'-ho  immediately  turned  her 
face  in  the  opposite  direction.  He  spoke  to  her, 
but  only  a  shrug  of  the  shoulders  answered  him. 

"  You  shall  look  at  me,"  he  cried,  with  sudden 


CUPID   AND   MARS. 


determination  ;  and,  seizing  her  by  the  shoulders, 
he  twisted  her  about  until  she  faced  him  ;  but 
even  then  he  did  not  accomplish  his  purpose,  for 
she  covered  her  face  with  her  hands,  declaring 
vehemently  she  would  rather  see  him  in  his 
shroud  than  in  the  uniform  of  a  traitor. 

"  Traitor,  forsooth  !  You  know  not  whereof 
you  speak.  In  what  button  or  seam  see  you 
aught  that  is  traitorous?"  He  dragged  her  hands 
from  her  face,  and  held  them  in  his  strong  grip ; 
but  still  he  was  foiled,  for  her  eyes  were  tightly 
closed.  "  An  you  open  not  your  eyes  immediately, 
I  will  kiss  them  soundly  upon  either  lid." 

Which  threat  had  the  desired  effect,  for  in- 
stantly the  lashes  parted  and  a  pair  of  sea-blue 
eyes  looked  angrily  into  his. 

"So — I  have  brought  you  to  terms.  "Well, 
and  what  think  you  of  my  uniform  ? " 

"Methinks,"  and  her  voice  was  not  pleasant  to 
hear,  "  that  'tis  most  fitting  apparel  for  one  who 
refuses  allegiance  to  his  king  and  —  uses  his 
greater  strength  against  a  woman." 

He  flung  her  hands  away  with  what,  for  him, 
was  near  to  roughness.  "By  the  eternal  stars, 
Joscelyn,  your  tongue  has  a  double  edge  ! " 

"A  woman  has  need  of  a  sharp  tongue  since 
Providence  gave  her  but  indifferent  fists." 

"  In  sooth,  it  is  the  truth  w^ith  you,"  he  cried, 
his  good-humour  restored  as  he  again  caught  one 
of  her  slender  hands  and  held  it  up  for  inspec- 
tion.    "JS'ature  wasted  not  much  material  here; 


6  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

methinks    it  would  scarce  fill  a   fly  with  appre- 
hension." 

But  she  wrung  it  out  of  his  grasp,  and,  with  an 
exclamation  of  annoyance,  turned  once  more  to 
the  window.  His  expression  changed,  and  he 
stood  some  moments  regarding  her  in  silence. 
At  last  he  said  :  — 

"  Joscelyn,  'tis  now  more  than  two  years  since 
you  came  to  live  neighbours  with  us,  and  for  the 
last  half  of  that  time  you  and  I  have  done  little 
else  than  quarrel.  But  on  my  part  this  disagree- 
ment has  not  gone  below  the  surface  ;  rather  has 
it  been  a  covering  for  a  tenderer  feeling.  I  have 
heard  it  said  that  a  woman  knows  instinctively 
when  a  man  loves  her.  Have  you  spelled  out 
my  heart  under  this  show  of  dispute  ? " 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders  mockingly.  "  I  am 
but  an  indifferent  speller,  Master  Clevering." 

"  Right  well  do  I  know  that,  having  seen  some 
of  your  letters  to  Betty,"  he  answered  with  ready 
acquiescence.  Whereat  she  flashed  upon  him  a 
glance  of  indignant  protest;  but  he  went  on 
calmly,  as  though  he  noted  not  the  look  :  "  But 
you  are  a  fair  reader,  and  mayhap  I  used  a  wrong 
term.  Have  you  not  read  my  heart  all  these 
months  "  ? 

"  It  is  not  given  even  unto  the  wise  to  read  so 
absolute  a  blank." 

It  was  his  time  to  wince,  but  the  minutes  were 
flying,  the  women  might  return  from  the  gate 
at  any  moment,  and  this  would  be  his  last  chance 


CUPID   AND   MAES. 


for  a  quiet  word  with  her.  "Let  us  have  done 
with  this  child's  play,  Josceljn.  To-morrow  I 
march  with  ray  company ;  'twill  be  months,  per- 
haps years,  before  we  meet  again.  I  love  you ! 
"Will  you  not  give  me  some  gentle  word,  some 
sweet  promise,  to  fill  with  hope  the  time  that  is 
to  come  ? " 

"  What  manner  of  promise  can  you  wish  ? "  she 
asked,  her  back  still  toward  him. 

"  A  promise  which  shall  mean  our  betrothal." 

"  Betrothal  ?  —  and  we  always  quarrelling  ?  " 

"  Quarrels  cease  where  love  doth  rule,"  he 
answered  softly. 

"  But  I  have  no  love  for  you." 

"  You  might  have  if  you  would  cease  dwelling 
so  much  on  the  king's  affairs  and  think  somewhat 
of  me.  I  would  give  you  love  unqualified  if  so 
you  would  but  lean  ever  so  little  my  way." 

"And  think  you.  Master  Clevering,  that  I 
would  turn  traitor  for  your  love  ?  I^ay,  sir ;  I 
am  a  loyal  subject  to  King  George,  and  can  enter 
into  no  compact  with  his  enemies." 

"  Then  will  I  be  forced  to  conquer  you  along 
with  the  other  adherents  of  the  tyrant,  for  have 
you  I  will,"  he  cried  impetuoush^  "An  you 
yield  not  to  persuasion,  you  shall  yield  to  force. 
From  this  day  I  hold  you  as  a  part  of  the  Eng- 
lish enemy  who  needs  must  be  subdued ;  and  I  do 
hereby  proclaim  war  against  j^our  prejudice  for 
your  heart." 

"  And   I   do   accept   the   challenge,   foreseeing 


8  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

your  failure  in  both  causes."  She  swept  him  a 
courtesy  full  of  open  defiance  and  ridicule,  and 
again  turned  her  back  upon  him  as  Betty  entered 
the  room. 

But  Master  Clevering  was  neither  dismaj^^ed  nor 
discouraged  by  the  turn  his  wooing  had  taken. 
He  had  never  thought  to  win  her  lightly,  and 
his  combative  disposition  recognized  in  the  pros- 
pect before  him  the  elements  of  a  struggle,  so 
that  he  was  filled  with  the  keen  joy  of  a  warrior 
at  the  onset  of  the  fray.  The  possibility  of  final 
defeat  did  not  occur  to  him. 

Bidding  Betty  an  affectionate  good-by,  Joscelyn 
quitted  the  house,  declining  his  proffered  escort, 
nor  did  he  speak  with  her  again  for  a  space  of 
many  hours  ;  for  when  the  company,  bidden  that 
night  to  a  farewell  feast  with  him,  assembled 
about  the  board,  the  chair  set  for  her  was  vacant. 
Betty  and  Janet  glanced  meaningly  at  each  other, 
for  they  had  seen  her  at  dusk  in  company  with 
Eustace  and  Mary  Singleton,  and  the  Singletons 
were  among  the  most  pronounced  Tories  in  the 
county.  But  at  the  other  end  of  the  table  Rich- 
ard only  laughed  as  he  thrust  his  knife  into  the 
fowl  before  him  and  felt  for  the  joint. 

"  Tell  her,  Aunt  Cheshire,  that  our  loss  does  not 
equal  hers,  since  she  gets  none  of  this  bird,  which 
is  browned  to  the  taste  of  Epicurus  himself." 

His  tone  was  careless,  and  in  truth  he  was  not 
surprised  at  her  defection,  for  he,  too,  had  seen 
the  Singletons  at  her  gate;   and  later  on,  as  he 


CUPID    AND   MAKS.  9 

stood  at  his  own  door,  had  seen  her,  through  her 
lighted  parlour  window  opposite,  take  off,  for  the 
entertainment  of  her  guests,  his  own  theatrical 
entrance  in  his  uniform  that  afternoon.  She  was 
an  excellent  mimic,  and  her  sense  of  humour 
enabled  her  to  give  a  ludicrous  side  to  the  scene, 
which  drew  forth  peals  of  laughter  from  her  audi- 
tors. The  vanity,  the  swagger,  the  monumental 
pose,  were  so  exactly  reproduced  that  Kichard  felt 
a  quick  tingle  of  irritation  flush  his  veins.  And 
that  picture  w^as  still  in  his  mind  as  he  sat  at 
table  among  his  guests. 

It  is  questionable  whether  it  would  have  been 
an  added  nettlement  or  a  relief  had  he  known 
that  she  had  been  aware  of  his  presence  across 
the  way,  seeing  him  distinctly  against  the  hall 
light  behind  him,  and  that  the  scene  enacted  was 
more  for  him  than  for  her  visitors. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

THE    MARCH    OF    THE    CONTINENTALS. 
*'  Thou  art  gone  from  my  gaze  like  a  beautiful  dream." 

LiNLET. 

npHE  Cheshires  and  Cleverings  were  not  akin, 
-*-  although  the  young  people  gave  titles  of 
kinship  to  the  older  folk.  Mistress  Cheshire  had 
been  twice  married,  her  first  husband  being 
brother  to  James  Clevering.  After  her  second 
widowhood  she  had  moved  from  New  Berne  to 
Hillsboro'-town,  to  be  near  her  brother-in-law,  for 
neither  she  nor  her  last  husband  had  any  nearer 
male  relative  this  side  of  the  sea.  There  had  been 
no  quarrel  with  the  Cleverings  concerning  her 
second  marriage,  so  that  she  found  in  Hillsboro' 
a  ready  welcome.  The  inland  town  promised 
more  peace  than  the  bustling  seaport  whence  she 
had  moved.  There  news  of  king  and  colony  came 
in  with  every  vessel  that  cast  anchor  at  the 
wharves,  and,  as  a  result,  the  community  was  in 
a  constant  state  of  ferment.  All  this  was  very 
repugnant  to  Mistress  Cheshire,  who  was  a  timid 
woman  with  no  very  decided  views  upon  public 
questions.  Her  one  ruling  desire  was  for  peace, 
no  matter  whence  the  source  ;  she  had  lived  quite 
happily  under  the  king's  sceptre ;  but  if  Washing- 

10 


THE    MARCH    OF   THE    CONTINENTALS.  11 

ton  could  establish  a  safe  and  quiet  government, 
she  would  have  no  quarrel  either  with  him  or  fate. 
But  Joscelyn  was  different.  Her  father  had 
been  an  ardent  advocate  of  kingly  rule,  and  she 
had  imbibed  all  of  his  enthusiasm  for  England 
and  English  sovereignty.  He  had  died  just 
before  the  battle  of  Lexington  set  the  western 
continent  athrob  with  a  new  national  life.  Con- 
sequently, the  removal  from  ISTew  Berne  had 
been  much  against  Joscelyn's  inclination,  for  she 
desired  to  be  in  the  front  and  press  of  the  excite- 
ment. But  seeing  how  her  mother's  heart  was 
set  on  it,  she  finally  withdrew  her  opposition. 
Still  she  carried  to  her  new  home  the  bitter  Tory- 
ism with  which  her  father  had  so  deeply  ingrained 
her  nature.  In  another  atmosphere  this  feeling 
might  have  spent  itself  in  idle  fancies  and  vain 
regrets ;  but  in  daily,  almost  hourly,  contact  with 
the  Cleverings,  whose  patriotism  w^as  ever  at  high 
tide,  she  was  kept  constantly  on  the  defensive,  and 
in  a  spirit  of  resistance  that  knew  no  compromise. 
The  elder  Cleverings  and  Betty  looked  upon  her 
outbreaks  good-humouredly,  treating  them  as  the 
whims  of  a  spoiled  child.  But  not  so  Eichard. 
His  whole  soul  was  in  the  revolt  of  the  colonies ; 
every  nerve  in  him  was  attuned  to  war  and  strife, 
and  he  was  vehemently  intolerant  of  any  adverse 
opinion,  so  that  between  him  and  Joscelyn  the 
subject  came  to  be  as  flint  and  steel.  He  did  not 
scruple  to  tell  her  that  she  was  foolish,  obstinate, 
logically  blind,  and  that  her  opinions  were  not  of 


12  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

the  smallest  consequence ;  and  yet  the  staunch 
loyalty  with  which  she  defended  her  cause,  and 
the  ready  defiance  with  which  she  met  his  every 
attack  won  his  admiration.  Yery  speedily  he 
separated  her  personality  from  her  views,  and 
loved  the  one  while  he  despised  the  other. 
Nothing  but  fear  of  her  ridicule  had  hitherto 
held  him  silent  upon  the  subject  of  his  love. 

While  the  merry-making  went  on  at  the  Clev- 
-erings'  that  last  night  of  his  stay  at  home,  Josce- 
lyn  sat  playing  cards  with  the  Singletons,  whom 
she  persuaded  to  remain  to  tea,  making  her  lone- 
liness her  plea. 

"  It  passes  my  understanding,"  said  Eustace,  as 
he  slowly  shuffled  the  cards,  "  how  these  insur- 
gents can  hope  to  win.  Even  their  so-called  con- 
gress has  had  to  move  twice  before  the  advance 
of  his  Majesty's  troops.  A  nation  that  has  two 
seats  of  government  in  two  years  seems  rather 
shifty  on  its  base." 

"  It  must  have  been  a  brave  sight  to  see  General 
Howe  march  into  Philadelphia,"  said  Joscelyn. 
"Methinks  I  can  almost  hear  the  drums  beat  and 
see  the  flags  flying  in  the  wind.  Would  I  had 
been  there  to  cry  '  long  live  the  king '  with  the 
faithful  of  the  land." 

But  Mary  shuddered.  "  I  am  content  to  be  no 
nearer  than  I  am  to  the  battle  scenes.  The  mus- 
tering of  the  Continental  company  to-day  has  sat- 
isfied my  eyes  with  martial  shows." 

"  Call  you  that  a  martial  show  ? "  her  brother 


THE    MARCH    OF    THE    CONTINENTALS.  13 

laughed  derisively.  ""Why,  that  was  but  a  shabby 
make-believe  with  only  half  of  the  men  properly 
uniformed  and  equipped.  Martial  show,  indeed ! 
Kather  was  it  a  gathering  of  scarecrows.  I  proph- 
esy that  in  six  months  the  '  indomitable  army  of 
the  young  Kepublic,'  as  the  leaders  style  the 
undisciplined  rabble  that  follows  them,  will  be 
again  quietly  ploughing  their  fields  or  looking 
after  other  private  affairs." 

"  And  while  you  are  prophesying  you  are  play- 
ing your  cards  most  foolishly,  and  I  am  defeating 
you." 

"  True,  you  have  me  fairly  with  that  ace.  Let 
us  try  it  again  — '  Deprissa  resurgit,'  as  the  Conti- 
nentals say  on  their  worthless  paper  money." 

"Joscelyn,"  said  Mary  suddenly,  "did  I  tell 
you  that  Aunt  Ann  said  in  her  letter  that  Cousin 
Ellen  wore  a  yellow  silk  to  the  ball  given  to 
welcome  General  Howe  to  Philadelphia?" 

"  1  do  believe  you  left  out  that  important  item," 
laughed  Joscelyn. 

"  Why,  how  came  you  to  be  so  remiss,  I  pray 
you,  sister?  The  flight  of  congress  from  the 
Quaker  city,  and  its  seizure  by  his  Majesty's 
troops,  are  but  insignificant  matters  compared  to 
the  fact  that  our  cousin  wore  yellow  silk  to  the 
general's  ball,"  teased  her  brother.  "Whereupon 
Mary  went  pouting  across  the  room  and  sat  at 
the  window,  calling  out  to  the  players  at  the  table 
the  names  of  those  who  went  in  and  out  of  the 
house  of  festivity  opposite. 


14  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

"  Yonder  are  Mistress  Strudwick  and  Doris 
Henderson  —  dear  me !  I  wonder  what  it  feels 
like  to  be  so  stout  as  Mistress  Strudwick  ?  Billy 
Bryce  and  his  mother  are  just  behind  them.  I 
see  Janet  and  Betty  through  the  window.  Betty 
has  on  that  pink  brocade  with  the  white  lace." 

"  Then  I  warrant  some  of  those  recruits  will  go 
to  the  war  already  wounded,  for  in  that  gown 
Mistress  Betty  is  sweet  enough  to  break  any 
man's  heart." 

"  Eustace,  I  do  believe  you  are  halfway  in  love 
with  Betty." 

"  Why  put  it  only  halfway,  my  dear  ?  The 
whole  is  ever  better  than  a  part." 

"  What  think  you,  Joscelyn,  is  he  in  earnest  ? 
And  how  does  Betty  like  him  ? " 

But  Joscelyn  laughingly  quoted  the  biblical 
text  about  being  "  unevenly  yoked  together  with 
unbelievers,"  reminding  Mary  that  Betty  was  a 
Whig,  and  Eustace  a  Loyalist,  and  this  was  a  bar 
that  even  Cupid  must  not  pull  down.  Whereupon 
Eustace  laughed  aloud  ;  and  Mary  was  satisfied. 

Early  the  next  morning  Betty  ran  over  to  make 
her  protest  against  Joscelyn's  absence  of  the  night 
before.  "  Richard  seemed  not  to  care,  but  mother 
and  I  were  much  chagrined  that  you  did  not 
come." 

"  I  certainly  meant  no  offence  to  you  and  Aunt 
Cleverino:,"  answered  Joscelvn,  "  but  Richard  and 
I  have  a  way  of  forgetting  our  company  manners 
which  is  most  unpleasant  to  spectators." 


THE    MARCH    OF    THE    CONTINENTALS.  15 

"  Yes ;  mother  read  Eichard  a  most  proper 
lecture  this  morning  about  the  way  he  quarrels 
with  you,  and  he  is  coming  over  later  to  make  his 
peace ;  he  says  he  thinks  that  perhaps  mother  is 
right,  and  that  he  will  feel  better  to  carry  in  his 
heart  no  grudge  against  any  one  when  he  goes 
into  battle.  And  you  must  be  very  kind  to  him, 
Joscelyn,  for  it  is  a  great  concession  on  his  part 
to  apologize  thus.  Supposing  if  —  if  anything 
happened  to  him,  and  you  had  sent  him  away  in 
anger ! " 

Joscelyn  drew  the  young  girl  to  her,  "  So  you 
have  appointed  yourself  keeper-in-chief  of  my 
conscience  ?  "Well,  well ;  I  will  hold  a  most  strict 
watch  over  my  tongue  during  the  next  few  hours, 
so  that  it  may  give  you  no  offence.  Still,  I  am 
not  easily  conscience-stricken,  and  neither,  I  think, 
is  Master  Clevering." 

"  The  Singletons  passed  the  evening  with  you, 
did  they  not  ? "  asked  Betty,  who  had  glanced 
across  at  her  friend's  window  the  night  before, 
and  had  seen  them  playing  cards  together. 

"Yes;  and  Eustace  said  some  very  pretty 
things  about  you  and  your  pink  frock,  "What  a 
pity  you  are  of  different  political  beliefs,  for  — 
Why,  Betty,  what  a  beautiful  colour  has  come  into 
your  cheeks," 

"  Stuff,  Joscelvn  !  But  —  what  said  Master  Sin- 
gleton  ? "  And  when  the  speech  was  repeated, 
the  girl's  sweet  face  was  redder  than  ever. 

For  a  few  moments  Joscelyn  looked  at  her  in 


16  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

consternation.  Betty  cared  for  Eustace!  It 
seemed  the  very  acme  of  irony.  Then  tenderly 
she  stroked  the  brown  hair,  wondering  silently 
at  the  game  of  cross-purposes  love  is  always  play- 
ing. Uncle  and  Aunt  Clevering,  with  their  vio- 
lent views,  would  follow  Betty  to  her  grave  rather 
than  to  her  bridal  with  Eustace,  for,  besides  the 
party  differences,  the  older  folk  of  the  two  fami- 
lies had  long  been  separated  by  a  bitter  quarrel 
over  a  title-deed,  Joscelyn's  own  friendship  for 
Mary  and  Eustace  had  been  the  cause  of  some 
sharp  words  between  her  and  her  uncle ;  a  thou- 
sand times  more  would  he  resent  Betty's  defec- 
tion. "  But  they  shall  not  break  her  heart !  " 
she  said  to  herself,  with  a  sudden  tightening  of 
her  arms  about  the  clinging  girl. 

An  hour  later  Richard  knocked  at  the  door  and 
was  admitted  by  Mistress  Cheshire,  for  Joscelyn 
had  gone  to  her  own  room  at  the  sound  of  his 
step  outside. 

"  No,  I  will  not  come  down.  I  have  promised 
Betty  not  to  quarrel  w^ith  him,  and  the  only  way 
to  keep  my  word  is  not  to  see  him,"  she  said  to 
her  mother  over  the  banister.  "  Tell  him  I  hope 
he  will  soon  come  back  whole  of  body,  but  as  glo- 
riously defeated  as  all  rebels  deserve  to  be." 

In  vain  her  mother  urged,  and  in  vain  Bichard 
called  from  the  foot  of  the  stair ;  she  neither  an- 
swered nor  appeared  in  sight. 

"  Tell  her.  Aunt  Cheshire,  that  I  never  thought 
to  find  her  hiding  in  her  covert;  a  soldier  who 


THE    MARCH    OF    THE    CONTINENTALS.  17 

believes  in  his  cause  hesitates  not  to  meet  his 
adversary  in  open  field  ;  it  is  the  doubtful  in  cour- 
age or  confidence  who  run  to  cover."  And  he 
went  down  tlie  step  with  his  head  up  angrily 
and  his  sword  clanging  behind  him. 

In  the  upper  hall  Joscelyn  held  her  hands  tightly 
over  her  mouth  to  force  back  the  stinging  retort. 
Then,  with  a  derisive  smile,  she  went  downstairs 
and  sat  in  the  hall  window,  in  plain  view  of  the 
street  and  the  house  across  the  way. 

That  afternoon  his  company  marched  afield. 
The  town  was  full  of  noise  and  excitement,  and 
the  mingled  sound  of  sobbing  and  of  forced  laugh- 
ter, as  the  line  was  formed  in  the  market-place  and 
moved  with  martial  step  down  the  long,  unpaved 
street,  the  rolling  drums  and  clear-toned  bugles 
stirring  the  blood  to  a  frenzy  of  enthusiasm.  The 
sidewalks  were  lined  with  spectators,  the  patriots 
shouting,  th  ^  luke-warm  looking  on  silently.  Every 
house  along  the  route  through  the  town  was  hung 
with  wind-swung  wreaths  of  evergreen  or  stream- 
ers of  the  bonny  buff  and  blue  —  every  one  until 
they  reached  the  Cheshire  dwelling.  There  the 
shutters  were  close  drawn  as  though  some  grief 
brooded  within,  and  upon  the  outside  of  the  closed 
door  hung  a  picture  of  King  George  framed  in 
countless  loops  of  scarlet  ribbon  that  flamed  out 
like  a  sun-blown  poppy  by  contrast  with  the 
soberer  tints  of  the  Continentals.  Here  was  a 
challenge  that  none  might  misunderstand.  The 
sight  was  as  the  red  rao:  in  the  toreador's  hand 


18  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

to  the  bull  in  the  arena ;  and,  like  an  infuriated 
animal,  the  crowd  surged  and  swayed  and  rent  the 
air  with  an  angry  roar.  The  marching  line  came 
suddenly  to  a  full  stop  without  a  word  of  com- 
mand, and  the  roar  was  interspersed  with  hisses. 
Then  there  was  a  rush  forward,  and  twenty 
hands  tore  at  the  pictured  face  and  flaunting 
ribbons,  and  brought  them  out  to  be  trampled 
under  foot  in  the  dust  of  the  road,  while  a  voice 
cried  out  of  the  crowd  :  — 

"  Down  with  the  Eoyalists  !     Fire  !  " 

And  there  was  a  rattle  and  a  flash  of  steel  down 
the  martial  line  as  muskets  went  to  shoulders. 
But  Kichard  Clevering,  pale  with  fear,  sprang  to 
the  steps  between  the  deadly  muzzles  and  the  door 
and  lifted  a  hand  to  either  upright,  while  his  voice 
rang  like  a  trumpet  down  the  line  :  — 

"  Stay !  There  are  no  men  here.  This  is  but 
a  girl's  mad  prank.  Men,  men,  turn  not  your 
guns  against  two  lonely  women  ;  save  your  weap- 
ons for  rightful  game !  Shoulder  arms !  For- 
ward !     March !  " 

There  was  a  moment's  hesitation,  a  muttering 
down  the  ranks ;  then  the  guns  were  shouldered 
and  the  column  fell  once  more  into  step  with  the 
drums,  while  the  crowd  shouted  its  approval.  But 
above  the  last  echoes  of  that  shout  a  woman's 
jeering  laugh  rang  out  upon  the  air ;  and,  lifting 
eyes,  the  crowd  beheld  Joscelyn  Cheshire,  clad  in 
a  scarlet  satin  bodice,  lean  out  of  her  opened  case- 
ment and  knot  a  bunch  of  that  same  bright-hued 


THE    MARCH    OF    THE    CONTINENTALS.  19 

ribbon  upon  the  shutter.  With  the  throng  in  such 
volcanic  temper  it  was  a  perilous  thing  to  do ;  and 
yet  so  insidious  was  her  daring,  so  great  her  beauty, 
that  not  so  much  as  a  stone  was  cast  at  this  new 
signal  of  loyalty,  and  not  a  voice  was  lifted  in 
anger. 

And  this  was  the  last  vision  that  Richard  had 
of  her — the  vivid,  glowing  picture  he  carried  in 
his  heart  through  the  long  campaigns,  whether  it 
was  as  he  rushed  through  the  smoke-swirls  of 
battle  or  bivouacked  under  the  cold,  white  stars. 


CHAPTER  III. 

ONWARD    TO    VALLEY    FORGE. 

"  He  is  the  freeman  whom  the  truth  makes  free, 
And  all  are  slaves  besides." 

—  COWPKR. 

rilHE  colony  of  Korth  Carolina  had  long  been 
-■-  ready  for  rebellion  against  kingly  authority. 
Governor  Tryon  had  sown  the  seeds  of  discontent 
by  his  unpopular  measures,  and  the  taxes  levied 
upon  the  people  that  he  might  build  his  "  palace  " 
at  New  Berne.  This  discontent  had  culminated  in 
the  insurrection  of  the  Regulators  and  the  battle 
of  Alamance,  where  was  made  the  first  armed 
stand  against  England.  But  Tryon  was  victo- 
rious, and  the  captured  leaders  of  the  insurrection 
were  handed  on  Recjulators'  hill  in  Hillsboro'- 
town.  But  from  that  field  of  Alamance,  the 
defeated  people  carried  to  their  homes  the  same 
persistent,  haunting  dream  of  liberty  wdiich  was 
to  rise  incarnate  when  the  tocsin  of  the  Revolution 
blew  through  the  land. 

That  tocsin  waked  many  an  echo  among  the  hills 
that  surrounded  the  town  upon  the  Eno.  At  the 
first  call  to  arms,  the  older  men  had  gone  to  the 
field,  some  marching  away  to  the  north,  others  serv- 

20 


ONWAKD   TO    VALLEY    FORGE.  21 

ing  under  the  partisan  leaders  throughout  their  own 
section.  Now  the  younger  ones  —  those  who  had 
been  but  boys  when  the  cannon  at  Lexington  made 
the  pulse  of  the  people  first  to  quicken  and  throb 
—  were  going  out  to  bear  their  share  in  the  fray. 

For  the  past  year  the  company  of  which  Kich- 
ard  Clevering  was  a  member  had  done  service  in 
the  militia  at  home,  keeping  the  Tories  in  a  sem- 
blance of  subjection,  and  now  and  then  going  to 
Sumter's  aid  when  he  made  one  of  those  electrical 
:3allies  which  were  like  lightning  flashes  amid  the 
general  storm.  In  this  hard  school  Eichard  had 
learned  his  first  lessons  in  soldiering ;  but  graver 
and  sterner  military  work  was  now  ahead,  for  the 
company  was  marching  northward  to  aid  in  recruit- 
ing Washington's  regular  army,  reduced  and  dis- 
couraged by  the  terrible  winter  at  Yalley  Forge. 

When  they  started,  the  willows  that  fringed  the 
Eno,  that  fierce  little  river  that  wands  about  Hills- 
boro',  had  already  lost  their  winter  grayness,  and, 
with  the  rising  of  the  sap,  had  taken  on  that  won- 
derful golden  brown  which  is  the  aureole  of  the 
coming  springtime.  The  bluebirds  had  not  yet 
come  back  to  the  fence  corners,  but  the  earth  was 
soggy  with  the  thaw,  and  from  under  the  whirls 
of  last  year's  dead  leaves,  crocuses  were  holding 
up  green  signals  to  the  sun.  But  as  the  troop 
held  their  steady  way  to  the  north  the  spring 
signs  disappeared,  and  hoar  frost  and  bleak  winds 
■told  that  winter's  reign  was  not  yet  over. 

It  was  a  long  tramp  up  through  the  Virginia 


22  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

woods  and  along  the  salt  marshes  of  the  coast, 
and  down  and  up  the  desolate  streams  hunting  a 
ford.  But  youth  and  enthusiasm  lighten  many  a 
burden,  and  to  Richard  the  greatest  hardship  was 
lack  of  news  from  Joscelyn.  The  thought  of  her 
tugged  at  his  heart,  and  if  his  step  ever  lagged  in 
the  line,  it  was  because  the  memory  of  her  face 
drew  him  back  with  that  sickening  sense  of  long- 
ing that  youth  finds  so  hard  to  resist.  At  every 
chance  he  sent  her  a  missive. 

"  Not  that  she  will  care,  but  just  to  show  her  / 
do,"  he  said,  trying  to  convince  himself  there  was 
no  bitterness  in  the  thought. 

Peter  RuflBn,  marching  beside  him,  often  looked 
at  the  knit  brows  and  compressed  lips  and  smiled, 
guessing  something  of  the  cause ;  he  said  to  him- 
self that  it  was  safer  to  leave  a  wife  behind  than 
a  sweetheart,  since  one  was  sure  to  find  the  wife 
waiting  his  return,  while  a  sweetheart  might  be 
gone  with  a  fresher  fancy.  But  little  Billy  Bryce, 
who  could  never  have  kept  up  with  the  line  had  it 
not  been  for  Richard's  aid  now  and  then,  could 
not  fathom  the  meaning  of  that  dark  look  in  his 
benefactor's  face,  and  so  was  silent  and  sorry. 

The  March  winds  tore  at  them,  and  the  storms 
pelted  them  as  they  tramped  the  rugged  roads  or 
slept  in  their  thin  tents,  and  the  bullets  that  they 
had  intended  for  the  enemy,  often  went  to  provide 
game  for  their  daily  sustenance.  The  Tories  of 
the  districts  through  which  they  passed  sometimes 
rallied  to  oppose  them,  so  that  they  had  to  fight 


ONWAKD   TO    VALLEY    FORGE.  23 

their  way  through  ambuscades,  or,  when  the  enemy 
greatly  outnumbered  them,  slip  away  under  cover 
of  night  or  by  circuitous  paths  through  the  forest 
and  swamps. 

And  so,  at  last,  toward  the  end  of  March,  they 
reached  their  goal  —  the  encampment  at  Valley 
Forge,  and  shuddered  at  the  desolation  they  wit- 
nessed. As  the  little  band  marched  down  the 
streets  of  the  military  village,  gaunt  men  who  had 
survived  the  horrors  of  the  winter  came  out  to 
meet  them  with  huzzas,  and  the  drums  beat  a  long 
welcome.  Their  coming  was  as  a  thrill  that  runs 
through  a  half-numb  body,  a  sign  of  revivification 
and  awakened  hope.  But  under  it  all  was  a  sense 
of  unspeakable  sadness  that  filled  the  hearts  of  the 
newcomers  with  a  strange  wistfulness  of  pity  and 
admiration. 

The  succeeding  weeks  were  given  up  literally 
to  camp  work,  to  ceaseless  mustering  and  drilling 
under  the  vigilant  eye  of  Baron  Steuben,  until  the 
newcomers  lost  the  air  of  recruits  and  bore  them- 
selves with  the  semblance  of  veterans. 

"We  had  hoped  to  fight  under  Morgan," 
Eichard  wrote  his  mother,  "but,  doubtless  for 
excellent  reasons,  we  are  to  be  assigned  to  Gen- 
eral Wayne's  command,  which  just  now  sorely 
needs  strengthening.  Save  that  Morgan  is  from 
our  part  of  the  country,  the  change  matters  not 
to  me,  since  both  men  are  fearless  leaders.  What 
I  want  is  a  fray,  and  with  either  of  these  men  I 
am  like  to  get  my  fill." 


24  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

Here  there  was  a  long  blot  on  the  page,  as 
though  the  back  of  his  quill  had  been  drawn  along 
a  line.  In  truth  it  had,  for  he  had  started  to  send 
a  message  to  Joscelyn,  and  then  with  a  sudden 
accession  of  determination  had  erased  it,  lest  she 
come  to  think  he  had  never  anythino:  in  mind  save 
herself.  But  he  fondled  the  letter  as  he  folded 
it,  knowing  that  her  fingers  would  doubtless  hold 
each  page  and  her  eyes  travel  along  each  line,  for 
his  mother  would  share  her  news  of  him  with  her 
neighbours  over  the  way. 


CHAPTEK   ly. 

THE    COMPANY    ON   THE    VERANDA. 

"  Heaven  first  taught  letters  for  some  wretch's  aid, 

Some  banished  lover  or  some  captive  maid." 

—  Pope. 

FOE.  several  weeks  after  the  departure  of  the 
soldiers  an  expectant  hush  settled  over  Hills- 
boro'-town — 'the  reaction  of  the  mustering  and 
drilling  that  had  gone  before.  So  few  men  were 
left  in  the  town  that  Janet  Cameron  one  day 
dressed  herself  in  the  garb  of  a  nun,  and,  with  the 
feigned  humility  of  folded  hands  and  downcast 
eyes,  went  calling  upon  her  companions  "of  the 
convent  town."  A  ripple  of  merriment  followed 
in  her  wake,  for  she  made  a  most  quaint  figure. 
But  the  Keverend  Hugh  McAden,  meeting  her 
upon  the  corner,  so  reprimanded  her  for  her  levity 
that  she  ran  home  in  tears  and  hid  her  gray  frock 
and  hood  in  the  garret.  Joscelyn  sobered  her 
own  face  and  made  the  girl's  peace  with  the 
reverend  gentleman  with  such  explanations  as  at 
last  seemed  to  him  reasonable.  But  Janet  went 
on  no  more  masquerading  tours. 

With  both  the  work  and  the  gayety  of  the 
town  interrupted,  there  was  nothing  of  moment 
to  ens:ao-e  attention  but  the  news  that  came  once 

25 


26  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

in  a  while  from  the  camps  and  battle-fields.  The 
interest  in  this  was  shared  by  every  one,  so  that 
all  the  tidings,  whether  by  message  or  letter,  wxre 
looked  upon  as  public  property.  News  that  came 
by  word  of  mouth  w^as  cried  out  from  the  church 
steps  or  the  court-house  door,  for  no  good  citizen 
wished  to  keep  his  knowledge  to  himself.  Thus 
it  fell  out  when  it  became  known  that  a  missive 
had  come  from  Richard  to  Joscelyn,  that  a  score 
or  more  of  women  gathered  about  her  door  to 
learn  the  contents.  She  came  out  to  them  upon 
the  veranda,  her  saucy  beauty  enhanced  by  the 
scarlet  bodice,  her  eyes  full  of  laughter. 

"  Read  you  Master  Clevering's  letter  ?  —  As  you 
will.  Mistress  Strudwick ;  you  may  perchance  find 
more  of  interest  in  it  than  I,"  she  answered  with 
that  sweet  courtesy  she  showed  ever  to  her  elders. 
And  so  having  enthroned  Mistress  Strudwick  upon 
the  wicker  bench  of  the  porch,  while  the  others 
disposed  themselves  upon  the  steps  and  the  grass 
of  the  terrace  which  sloped  directly  to  the  street, 
she  unfolded  her  letter  and  cleared  her  throat 
pompously  as  is  the  manner  of  public  speakers. 

"I  pray  you  have  patience  with  me,  good 
ladies,"  she  said,  "  if  so  I  read  but  slowly.  Mas- 
ter Clevering  ever  had  trouble  with  his  spelling ; 
and  as  for  the  writing,  'tis  as  though  a  fly  had 
half  drowned  itself  in  the  inkhorn  and  then 
crawled  upon  the  page." 

Then  did  she  proceed  to  read  them  the  letter 
from  its  greeting  to  its  close,  pausing  now  and 


THE  COMPANY  ON  THE  VERANDA.        27 

then  to  laboriously  spell  out  a  word.  There  were 
accounts  of  the  life  at  "Valley  Forge,  of  the  drill- 
ing and  the  picket  duty  and  the  ceaseless  watching 
of  the  enemy.  Then  there  was  an  exultant  de- 
scription of  the  victory  at  far-off  Stillwater,  as  it 
was  given  to  him  by  a  fellow-soldier  who  had 
been  a  participant, 

"  Said  I  not  the  Continentals  would  win?  Would 
I  had  been  there  to  see  !  Five  times  was  one  cannon 
captured  and  recaptured.  How  glorious  the  fighting 
was ;  and  think  of  the  surrender !  Well,  well,  it  con- 
soles me  somewhat  to  thiuk  of  that  coming  last  sur- 
render of  that  archest  of  all  the  Royalists.  I  shall 
bear  a  part  in  that,  for  it  is  to  me  the  capitulation 
will  be  made  —  " 

"  Why,  dear  me,  is  Master  Clevering  to  be  made 
commander-in-chief  of  the  American  forces,  that 
his  Majesty's  troops  should  yield  arms  to  him  ? " 
Joscelyn  broke  off  to  ask  with  assumed  innocence. 
"  I  heard  naught  of  his  rapid  promotion." 

"Come,  come,  Joscelyn,  leave  off  sneering  at 
Richard  and  read  us  the  rest." 

She  laughed  as  she  turned  the  page. 

"  Say  to  Mistress  Strudwick  that  the  fame  of  her 
gallant  brother,  Major  William  Shepperd,  hath  reached 
even  this  remote  quarter,  and  his  old  friends  glory  in 
his  prowess.  Little  Jimmy  Nash  has  lost  his  wits 
and  wants  another  pair  — 

("  A  pair  of  wits !  What  can  that  mean  ?  Oh, 
I  ask  your  pardon,  Mistress  Nash ;    it  is  '  mits,' 


28  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

not  '  wits.'      Master  Clevering  hath   so   queer   a 
handwriting.") 

"  —  and  wants  another  pair ;  let  his  mother  know, 
that  she  may  knit  them  and  send  them  by  the  first 
chance." 

There  were  other  messages  and  news  items 
which  the  girl  read,  and  then  came  the  signature. 

"  There  follows  here  a  postscript  which  per- 
chance some  of  you  may  help  me  to  unravel," 
she  added ;  and  then,  with  the  air  of  a  town-crier 
announcing  his  errand,  she  proceeded  :  — 

"  To  the  girl  of  my  heart  say  this,  that  I  forget  not 
I  am  fighting  for  her,  and  that  I  look  upon  every  Red- 
coat my  gun  can  bring  down  as  one  more  obstacle  re- 
moved from  betwixt  us.     I  think  of  her  always." 

She  paused  and  puckered  her  brow  in  a  per- 
plexed frown.  "Now  who,  I  pray  you,  is  the  girl 
of  his  heart?  Cannot  some  of  you  help  me  to 
guess  ? " 

"Methinks  'twould  be  an  easy  task  for  you," 
laughed  Mistress  Strudwick. 

"  Me  f  "  repeated  Joscelyn,  still  with  that  air 
of  perplexed  innocence.  "Nay,  he  was  ever  so 
full  of  jokes  and  quarrels  that  it  never  came  to 
me  he  had  a  heart." 

"  Mayhap  it  is  Dorothy  Graham  he  means,"  said 
a  voice  in  the  crowd. 

"  More  like  'tis  Patience  Euffin." 

"  Or  little  Janet  Cameron  —  he  set  much  store 
by  her." 


THE  COMPANY  ON  THE  VEEANDA.        29 

"  ISTay,"  said  a  teasing  voice,  "  Janet  is  going  to 
be  a  nun ;  such  messages  to  her  would  not  be 
proper."     Whereat  there  was  a  general  laugh. 

"  "Whoever  she  is,  'tis  a  pity  she  should  miss  her 
love  message  tlirough  her  lover's  obscurity  and 
our  ignorance,"  said  Joscelyn.  "  What  think  you. 
Mistress  Strudwick,  were  it  not  a  good  plan  to 
post  this  page  upon  the  banister  here  that  all  who 
pass  may  read?  In  this  wise  we  may  find  the 
maid." 

With  a  pin  from  her  bodice,  and  using  her  high- 
heeled  slipper  —  which  she  drew  off  for  the  pur- 
pose—  as  a  hammer,  she  tacked  the  paper  to  the 
banister.  But  it  had  not  fluttered  twice  in  the 
wind  ere  Betty  had  snatched  it  down. 

"  Shame  on  you,  Joscelyn,  for  so  exposing  my 
brother's  letter ! " 

"  Oh,  I  meant  not  to  anger  you,  Betty,"  returned 
the  girl,  sweetly,  as  she  took  the  letter  again  and 
thrust  it  into  her  bodice.  "  Since  you  like  not 
this  plan,  we  will  have  the  town-crier  search  out 
the  mysterious  damsel  and  bring  her  here  to  read 
for  herself.  Let  us  see  how  the  cry  would  run  : 
'  Wanted,  wanted,  the  girl  of  Richard  Clevering's 
heart  to  read  his  greeting  on  Mistress  Cheshire's 
porch ! '  " 

She  stooped  to  buckle  her  shoe,  her  foot  on  the 
round  of  Mistress  Strud wick's  chair,  and  so  they 
saw  not  the  laughter  in  her  eyes.  She  knew  well 
that  Betty  would  not  fail  to  write  Richard  of  the 
scene,   and   she   already   fancied   his   anger ;   she 


30  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

could  have  laughed  aloud.  ''Methinks  I  have 
paid  you  back  a  score,  Master  Impertinence,"  she 
said  to  herself,  and  then  fell  to  talking  to  Dorothy- 
Graham  until  the  company  dispersed.  That  night 
Betty,  running  in  on  a  message  from  her  mother, 
found  Joscelyn  using  the  fragments  of  the  ill-fated 
letter  to  curl  the  long  hair  of  Gyp,  the  house-dog, 
and  she  went  home  to  add  an  indignant  postscript 
to  the  missive  to  her  brother,  over  which  she  had 
spent  the  afternoon.  But  even  as  she  wrote  she 
knew  he  would  not  heed  her  advice ;  and  sure 
enough,  in  course  of  time  another  letter  came  to 
the  house  on  the  terrace  :  — 

"  The  girl  of  my  heart  is  that  teasing  Tory,  Josce- 
lyn Cheshire,  who  conceals  her  tender  nature  under 
such  show  of  scorning.  One  day  her  love  shall  strike 
its  scarlet  colours  to  the  blue  and  buff  of  mine ;  and 
her  lips,  instead  of  mocking,  will  be  given  over  to 
smiles  and  kisses,  for  which  purpose  nature  made 
them  so  beautiful. 

"  Post  this  on  your  veranda  for  the  town  to  read, 
an  you  will,  sweetheart.  For  my  part,  I  care  not  if 
the  whole  world  knows  that  I  love  you." 

But  Joscelyn  did  no  such  thing.  Instead,  she 
thrust  the  letter  out  of  sight,  and  refused  to  read 
it  even  to  Betty,  who  had  only  half  forgiven  her 
for  her  former  offence  against  her  brother. 

As  the  days  passed,  however,  Betty  was  full  of 
concern  for  the  privations  Richard  endured,  and 
out  of  sheer  force  of  habit  she  carried  her  plaint 
to  Joscelyn. 


THE  COMPANY  ON  THE  VERANDA.        31 

"  Richard  drills  six  hours  a  day,  rain  or  shine," 
she  said,  with  an  expostulatory  accent  on  the 
numeral. 

"Dear  me,  is  he  that  hard  of  learning?  Me- 
thinks  even  /  could  master  the  art  of  shouldering 
a  gun  and  turning  out  my  toes  in  less  time  than 
that.     It  seems  not  so  difficult  a  matter." 

"  And  even  after  all  this,"  Betty  went  on,  tak- 
ing no  heed  of  the  other's  laugh,  "  he  may  not 
rest  at  night,  but  must  needs  do  picket  duty  or  go 
on  reconnoitring  expeditions.  And  he  hath  not 
tasted  meat  in  two  weeks,  not  since  he  hath  been 
in  camp." 

"  What  a  shame !  A  soldier  such  as  Master 
Clevering  should  sit  among  the  fleshpots  and 
sleep  all  night  in  a  feather  bed." 

"  I  knew  you  would  laugh,"  Betty  said  with 
sudden  heat.  "  You  treat  Richard  as  though  he 
counted  for  naught ;  but  the  truth  is,  Joscelyn, 
you  are  not  half  good  enough  for  him." 

And  Betty  flung  out  of  the  house  with  her  chin 
in  the  air,  while  Joscelyn  kissed  her  hand  to  her 
with  playful  courtesy,  but  with  a  genuine  admira- 
tion for  her  spirit. 

But  she  softened  not  her  heart  toward  Richard. 
Because  of  his  impatience  with  her  opinions,  and 
the  personal  nature  of  their  disputes  and  opposi- 
tions, he  had  come  to  typify  to  her  the  very  core 
and  heart  of  the  insurrection.  She  knew  this  was 
foolish,  that  he  was  in  truth  but  an  insignificant 
part  of  the  general  turmoil ;  and  yet  he  was  the 


32  JOSCELTN   CHESHIKE. 

prominent  figure  that  always  came  before  her 
when  the  talli  turned  on  the  Revolution,  no  mat- 
ter in  what  company  she  was.  His  masterful 
ways  of  wooing  and  cool  assumption  of  her  pref- 
erence also  grated  harshly  upon  her,  and  even  in 
his  absence  her  heart  was  often  hot  against  him. 
She  listened  indifferently  to  his  mother's  and 
Betty's  praise  of  him. 

Her  position  in  the  community  was  rather  a 
peculiar  one ;  for  while  many  of  her  companions 
disliked  her  tenets,  they  loved  her  for  her  merry 
ways  and  grace  of  manner,  and  so  they  refused  to 
listen  to  some  of  the  more  rabid  members  who 
counselled  ostracism.  Her  mother,  too,  was  a 
strong  bond  between  her  and  the  public ;  for 
when  the  patriotic  women  of  the  town  met 
together  to  sew  and  knit  for  the  absent  soldiers. 
Mistress  Cheshire  often  went  with  them,  and  no 
needle  was  swifter  than  hers.  It  was  her  neigh- 
bours she  w^as  helping ;  the  soldiers  were  a  second- 
ary consideration.  She  was  not  going  to  quarrel 
with  Ann  Clevering  and  Martha  Strudwick  be- 
cause their  husbands  had  fallen  out  with  the 
king ;  that  was  his  Majesty's  affairs,  not  hers, 
and  she  did  not  believe  in  meddling  in  other  peo- 
ple's quarrels.  But  Joscelyn  shut  herself  in  her 
room  on  these  days  and  read  her  English  history  ; 
or  else,  being  deft  with  her  pencil,  made  numer- 
ous copies  of  the  historical  pictures  of  King  George 
and  his  ministers,  which  were  pinned  up  on  the 
railing  of  her  balcony  as  a  new  testimonial  of  her 


THE    COMPAJSTY   ON    THE    VEKANDA.  33 

loyalty.  But  no  sooner  was  her  back  turned  than 
some  passer-by  tore  them  away,  sometimes  leaving 
instead  a  written  threat  of  retaliation  that  made 
her  mother's  heart  cold  with  a  nameless  dread. 

It  was  in  the  end  of  March,  some  six  weeks 
after  the  departure  of  the  troops,  that  sad  news 
came  from  the  south.  Where  the  Pedee  widened 
toward  its  mouth  a  blow  had  been  struck  for  lib- 
erty, and  Uncle  Clevering  had  fallen  in  a  charge 
with  Sumter. 

There  had  been  a  body  of  Tories  to  disperse,  a 
wagon-train  to  capture,  and  despatches  to  inter- 
cept ;  and  Sumter's  troops,  knowing  this,  rode  all 
the  windy  night  through  moonshine  and  shadow 
to  surprise  the  enemy  in  the  daffodil  dawn  of  that 
March  morning.  Swift,  silent,  resistless,  like 
spectres  of  the  gray  forest,  they  came  upon  the 
astonished  Eedcoats  —  and  kept  their  tryst  with 
Victory !  The  prisoners,  the  wagon-train,  the 
despatches  were  theirs ;  but  one  of  them  had  rid- 
den to  his  rendezvous  with  death.  The  elder 
Clevering's  horse  was  led  back  through  all  the 
long  miles  to  Hillsboro'  with  the  stirrups  crossed 
over  the  saddle  ;  and  Ann  Clevering  sat  in  her 
house,  bereft.  Each  day  Martha  Strudwick  and 
other  friends  went  to  her  with  words  of  kindly 
commiseration  ;  but  it  was  Mistress  Cheshire  who 
did  most  to  comfort  the  afflicted  widow,  so  that 
these  two  were  drawn  yet  closer  together  with 
that  bond  of  sympathy  that  comes  of  a  mutual 
loss.     And  in  Betty's  or  Mistress  Clevering's  pres' 


3-i  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

ence  Joscelyn  never  again  talked  vauntingly  of 
English  prowess,  since  it  was  an  English  bullet 
that  had  wrought  such  sorrow  to  her  friends.  But 
even  this  death,  shocking  as  it  was  to  her,  in  no 
way  shook  her  allegiance  to  the  cause  she  held  to 
be  right. 


CHAPTER  Y. 


WINDING    THE    SKEIN. 


"  HoTT  do  I  love  thee  ?    Let  me  count  the  ways." 

—  Browning. 

IT  was  April,  and  the  days  came  with  a  sheen 
of  blue  sky  between  rifts  of  rain. 

Quick  steps  sounded  at  the  Cheshire  door,  and 
the  brass  knocker  beat  like  an  anvil  through  the 
house,  setting  the  maid's  feet  in  a  run  to  answer 
it.  Joscelyn  came  down  from  her  room  with 
wide  eyes  of  curiosity  to  find  Eustace  Singleton 
in  the  parlour,  a  great  nosegay  of  roses  in  his  hand. 

"  From  the  knocking  you  kept  up,  I  thought 
the  whole  Continental  army  must  be  at  my  door ! 
You  have  brought  me  the  first  roses  of  the  year," 
she  exclaimed  ;  "  how  kind  ! "  and  she  stretched 
out  her  hand  for  the  flowers. 

"  No  —  they  are  not  for  you  —  not  exactly,"  he 
stammered,  holding  them  out  of  her  reach, 

"  Mother  will  appreciate  them,  and  I  shall  enjoy 
them  quite  the  same." 

"No,  she  will  not,  for  I  had  her  not  in  mind 
when  I  plucked  them." 

"  Oh ! " 

"I  was  thinking  of  —  of  —  'n  faith,  Joscelyn,  I 
was  thinking  of  Mistress  Betty  Clevering." 

35 


36  JOSCELTN    CHESHIKE. 

"Of  Betty  Clevering!  Eed  roses  for  Betty 
Clevering ! " 

"  They  are  not  all  red.  See  this  one ;  it  is  near 
as  buff  as  her  own  party  colour." 

The  girl  nodded,  smiling  at  his  eagerness.  He 
walked  the  length  of  the  room,  then  stopped 
before  her  abruptly. 

"  Joscelyn,  I  leave  for  the  front  to-night." 

"I  did  not  know  —  " 

"  Yes ;  I  have  but  waited  orders  from  Lord 
Cornwallis.  This  morning  a  messenger  brought 
them,  and  I  am  to  report  at  once.  His  lordship 
has  been  most  kind  because  of  my  father's  friend- 
ship when  they  were  boys,  and  I  am  appointed 
aide  upon  his  staff." 

She  held  out  her  hand  impulsively.  "'Tis 
what  we  hoped  for  you." 

"But,"  he  went  on  hurriedly,  "I  cannot  go 
without  first  speaking  with  Mistress  Betty.  Me  ■ 
thinks  I  cannot  fight  against  her  people  without 
first  asking  her  pardon.  Oh,  of  course,  that 
sounds  foohsh;  but  will  you  help  me,  Joscelyn? 
It  would  be  useless  for  me  to  go  to  her  house; 
the  door  would  be  shut  in  my  face." 

"And  you  want  me  — " 

"  I  want  you  to  ask  her  here  now,  and  then  go 
away  upstairs  like  the  dear  girl  you  are,  and  give 
me  a  chance." 

"  Aunt  Clevering  would  never  forgive  me." 

"  She  need  not  know  ;  think  up  some  excuse  for 
sending  for  Betty." 


■WINDING   THE    SKEIN.  37 

"  And  Betty  herself  might  be  angry." 

"Not  with  you.  She  may  turn  me  away.  I 
have  small  hope,  for  she  has  always  been  so  shy, 
and  public  questions  and  private  quarrels  have 
kept  our  families  so  far  apart.  You  know  how 
seldom  we  meet ;  but  speak  with  her  I  must,  for 
who  knows  whether  I  shall  ever  come  back? 
My  departure  to-night  must,  of  course,  be  in 
secret,  for  were  my  intentions  known,  I  should 
be  apprehended  and  held,  mayhap  hanged  for 
treason.  This  is  my  one  chance  to  see  Betty  ; 
you  are  going  to  send  for  her,  Joscelyn?" 

She  hesitated:  she  hated  deception,  and  she 
loved  her  Aunt  Clevering.  Then  there  came  to 
her  the  memory  of  Betty's  face  when  she  had 
teased  her  about  Eustace,  and  her  own  resolution 
to  be  the  girl's  friend  where  so  much  heartache 
and  opposition  awaited  her.  This  was  her  oppor- 
tunity ;  if  she  refused  it,  she  would  be  abetting 
the  general  harshness  the  girl  was  likely  to 
encounter.  She  left  the  room  without  a  word, 
and  presently  Eustace  saw  through  the  window 
her  little  maid  dart  across  the  street  and  into  the 
opposite  gate. 

"Thank  you,"  he  said  jubilantly,  taking  her 
hand  when  she  reentered  the  room. 

"  Wait  and  see  if  she  comes.  She  is  here  but 
seldom  these  days ;  partly  because  she  is  still 
angry  with  me  about  Richard,  and  partly  because 
of  the  sorrow  that  came  to  her  a  month  ago. 
She  may  not  accept  my  invitation." 


38  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

But  even  as  she  spoke,  a  clear  voice  cried  in  the 
hall :  "  Joscelyn,  Joscelyn,  are  you  upstairs  ? " 

"  Nay,  I  am  here,"  and  she  met  the  girl  at  the 
door  and  drew  her  into  the  parlour. 

Eustace  came  forward  smiling.  "  JN'ow,  Mis- 
tress Betty,  I  call  this  a  lucky  chance  to  have 
dropped  in  here  when  you  were  coming  to  sit 
with  Joscelyn.  Fortune  does  sometimes  favour 
even  so  humble  a  subject  as  I.  Let  me  move  this 
chair  for  you." 

Betty's  cheeks  had  reddened  faintly,  and  she 
glanced  quickly  from  him  to  Joscelyn,  but  found 
in  neither  face  any  confirmation  of  a  suspicion 
that  stirred  in  her  mind.  Joscelyn  was  turning 
over  a  great  pile  of  coloured  worsteds. 

"  You  promised  to  help  me  sort  the  colours  for 
my  new  cross-stitch  —  you  have  such  a  fine  eye 
for  contrasts.  But  since  Eustace  is  here,  methinks 
we  had  best  put  it  off  ;  men  are  so  impatient  over 
such  matters,"  she  said. 

"  Nay,  nay,"  he  protested  ;  "  you  slander  me 
along  with  the  rest  of  my  fellow-men.  Mistress 
Betty  here  shall  prove  it,  for  I  will  hold  those 
tangled  skeins  for  her,  and  she  will  find  that  I  am 
patience  itself." 

"  Very  well,  we  will  put  you  to  the  test.  What 
think  you,  Betty,  will  this  green  do  for  the  flower 
stems  ?  —  You  like  that  shade  better  ?  —  Hold  out 
your  hands,  Eustace.  Now,  Betty,  wind  that  while 
1  find  a  blue  for  the  flowers." 

Never  was  anything  brought  about  more  natu- 


WINDING    THE    SKEIN.  39 

rally  and  deftly.  Almost  before  she  was  aware, 
Betty  found  herself  seated  in  front  of  Eustace, 
who  was  making  great  show  of  resignation. 

"  How  does  a  man  sometimes  fall  from  the  high 
estate  of  his  manhood  and  dignity  and  become  no 
better  than  a  wooden  frame  whereon  to  hang  a 
length  of  yarn,"  he  said,  laughing  ;  then  coloured 
with  pleasure  as  Betty  bent  toward  the  table  and 
put  her  face  close  to  the  roses  lying  there. 

"  Ah,  how  sweet !  I  have  only  a  few  buds,  as 
yet.  Master  Singleton  brought  them  to  you, 
Joscelyn  ? " 

"  On  the  contrary,  he  said  expressly  they  were 
not  for  me.  There  is  no  blue  in  this  lot  of  wools, 
I  must  have  left  it  upstairs.  'Tis  a  shame  I  have 
to  mount  those  steps  again.  I  hope  you  will  have 
that  skein  wound  by  the  time  I  find  the  blue  one." 
At  the  door  she  paused  and  looked  back  archly  at 
Eustace ;  then,  blowing  a  kiss  to  Betty's  unconscious 
back,  she  went  away,  shutting  the  door  softly  be- 
hind her, 

"  God  bless  you,  Betty  dear ;  I  hope  I  am  acting 
for  your  happiness,"  she  said  to  herself  on  the  stairs. 

Betty  added  to  her  soft  ball  in  unruffled  silence 
for  a  minute.  Then,  glancing  up,  she  met  Eus- 
tace's gaze,  and  her  hand  faltered  in  its  winding. 

"  Do  you  know  for  whom  I  brought  the  roses  ?  " 
he  asked,  bending  toward  her. 

"  Stay,  Master  Singleton,  you  are  dropping  the 
skein  —  and  you  promised  to  be  so  patient." 

"True,  true;   I  have  it  all  in  a  mess.      "Wind 


40  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

your  ball  up  closer  that  we  may  pass  it  through 
this  loop." 

And  so  they  set  themselves,  with  here  a  turn 
and  there  a  backward  twist,  to  that  old  task  of 
unravelling  the  snarled  skein.  Now  and  then 
their  fingers  touched,  and  both  hands  trembled 
and  both  faces  reddened ;  Eustace's  from  the  ex- 
quisite pleasure  of  the  contact,  for  never  before 
had  they  been  so  alone,  so  near  together,  and  out 
of  pure  joy  he  would  have  prolonged  the  happi- 
ness. But  the  shadows  were  already  lengthening 
backward  to  the  east,  and  with  nightfall  he  must 
be  away.  And  so  when  Betty's  little  hand  was 
again  near  to  his  he  seized  it  in  both  of  his. 

"  Betty  —  sweetheart  —  I  love  you  !  " 

The  thread  was  snapped  apart,  and  the  ball  fell 
to  the  floor,  but  he  held  her  hands  fast. 

"  Nay,  you  must  listen  to  me,  for  this  night  I 
go  away  to  bear  my  share  in  the  war,  perchance 
to  give  my  life  for  the  cause  I  hold  to  be  right. 
But  before  I  go  I  must  tell  you  what  is  in  my 
heart  —  tell  you  that  I  love  you  as  a  man  loves 
the  woman  to  whom  he  gives  his  name,  with 
whom  he  leaves  his  honour.  And  not  only  must 
I  tell  you  that,  but  I  must  hear  you  say  that,  be- 
lieving as  I  do,  you  do  not  blame  me  for  going  to 
the  war.     You  do  not  blame  me,  do  you  ? " 

Her  hands  lay  still  in  his,  but  her  head  was 
bent  so  low  he  could  not  see  into  her  eyes. 

"  This  war  means  everything  to  me,  for  the 
enemies  of  the  kino;  as^ainst  whom  I  shall  have 


WINDING    THE    SKEIN.  41 

to  fight  are  my  neighbours  and  acquaintances,  and, 
worse  still,  the  near  and  dear  relatives  of  my  love. 
Under  such  circumstances  you  do  not  think  I 
would  fight  save  from  principle  ?  " 

"No." 

"  And  you  do  not  condemn  the  step  I  am  tak- 
ing, even  though  it  sets  me  against  your  dear 
ones  ?     I  cannot  see  things  as  they  do." 

She  lifted  her  head  and  looked  at  him  squarely 
for  a  moment.  "Every  man  should  follow  the 
dictates  of  his  conscience." 

"I  knew  your  heart  would  recognize  the  jus- 
tice of  my  case.  And  when  it  is  all  over,  and  I 
come  back,  you  will  not  let  this  stand  between  us 
—  you  will  be  my  wife  ? " 

But  she  drew  her  hand  away,  shaking  her  head 
with  downcast  eyes,  and  his  pleading  was  futile. 
"To  promise  you  would  be  to  go  against  my 
mother,  and  it  were  undutiful  in  me  to  add  to 
her  present  distress ;  now  that  my  father  is  dead 
and  my  brother  gone  to  the  war,  my  mother  has 
only  me  to  comfort  her." 

"Then  at  least  let  me  carry  away  the  glad 
assurance  that  you  care  for  me ;  that  will  suffice, 
for,  if  you  love  me,  you  will  wait  for  me." 

"You  —  you  will  find  me  waiting,"  she  whis- 
pered ;  and  then  her  lips  trembled  under  the  kiss 
that  he  put  upon  them. 

But  there  was  a  sound  at  the  door,  a  warning 
rattle  of  the  knob,  and  out  of  consideration  for 
her  he  let  her  go. 


42  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

"  Aunt  Clevering  is  calling  you,  Betty,"  Josce- 
lyn  said,  but  she  did  not  enter.  "  She'll  be  there 
directly.  Aunt  Clevering,"  she  called  from  the 
front  door.  And  presentl}^  when  Betty  passed 
her  with  Eustace's  colours  flaming  in  her  cheeks 
and  his  roses  on  her  breast,  she  knew  that  Red- 
coat and  not  Continental  had  won  this  battle  in 
her  parlour. 

"  She  would  not  promise  me,"  Eustace  said, 
Av ringing  her  hand ;  "  but  I  am  so  happy,  for 
there  are  some  things  that  are  better  than  a 
spoken  promise.  " 


CHAPTER  YL 

THE    FETE    AT    PHILADELPHIA. 

"  Drink  to  her  that  each  loves  best ; 
And  if  you  nurse  a  flame 
That's  told  but  to  her  mutual  breast, 
We  will  not  ask  her  name. ' ' 

—  Campbell. 

nnHE  sixth  day  of  May  dawned  clear  at  Valley 
-*-  Forge.  In  the  crowded  huts  and  tents  was  an 
unusual  stir,  a  brushing  and  repairing  of  ragged 
uniforms,  and  a  burnishing  of  bayonets  and  sword- 
hilts.  Then  the  bugles  sounded  their  stirring  call, 
and  the  morning  sun  looked  down  upon  the  army 
drawn  up  in  two  lines  upon  the  drill  plateau. 
Richard,  gazing  down  the  line  in  front  of  him, 
and  knowing  that  the  one  in  which  he  stood  was 
but  its  ragged  prototype,  felt  his  heart  swell  with 
admiration  and  a  sickening  pity  ;  for  everywhere 
were  the  marks  of  privation  and  starvation.  Only 
the  faces,  transfigured  by  the  radiance  of  a  new 
hope,  told  of  the  unconquered  wills  that  lay  dor- 
mant under  the  scars  of  suffering. 

Thus  they  heard  the  news  for  which  they  had 
been  mustered  into  line  —  France  had  acknowl- 
edged the  independence  of  the  colonies,  and  would 
send  them  substantial  martial  aid.     Franklin  had 

43 


44  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

won,  and  the  fleur-de-lys  was  to  float  beside  the 
star-studded  banner  of  the  young  republic  fighting 
for  her  life. 

When  the  proclamation  was  read,  a  salute  of 
thirteen  guns  boomed  out,  each  the  symbolic  voice 
of  a  State  pledging  allegiance  to  the  new  alliance. 
Down  the  lines  went  the  rattle  of  musketry,  and 
there  rolled  up  a  shout  that  filled  the  blue  hollow 
of  the  sky  with  its  hoarse  echo. 

"  Lono^  live  the  kino-  of  France  !  " 

"  Long  live  the  new  Republic  !  " 

"  Hip  —  hip  —  huzza  !  " 

It  was  as  if  the  prisoned  joy  of  months  had 
broken  into  song.  Scars  and  tatters  and  hunger, 
pains  and  aching  wounds  were  forgotten,  and 
only  the  radiance  of  peace  and  freedom  yet  to 
come  shone  in  the  dazzled  upturned  eyes. 

"  Long  live  the  lilies  of  France !  " 

When  it  was  all  done  Richard  sat  down  to  write 
by  the  light  of  a  pine  knot  one  of  those  letters 
that  Joscelyn  hated. 

"  I  am  much  grieved  at  the  news  of  you  in  Betty's 
last  letter.  She  says  you  daily  draw  upon  yourself 
the  disapproval  of  the  townsfolk  by  your  public  re- 
joicing over  news  of  any  British  success.  This  is  not 
wise  in  you,  for  the  people  are  in  no  temper  to  be 
mocked ;  and  I  feel  my  hands  grow  cold  at  the  thought 
that  some  danger  may  come  near  you,  and  I  too  far 
away  to  stand  bet\yeen  you  and  it !  Go  often  to  see 
my  mother,  both  because  she  loves  you  and  because 
the  friendship  of  so  good  a  patriot  will  be  a  safe- 
guard in  the  community.    Betty  hath  writ  me  so  queer 


THE    FETE    AT    PHILADELPHIA.  45 

a  page  about  trying  to  love  my  enemies,  and  her  hope 
that  I  will  look  carefully  at  every  man  toward  whom 
my  gun  is  pointed  so  that  I  shoot  not  a  neighbour,  that 
I  am  at  a  loss  to  understand  her  meaning  —  unless,  in- 
deed, she  hath  been  tainted  by  your  Toryism.  What 
think  you  hath  come  to  the  little  minx  ?  " 

She  would  not  answer  the  epistle,  of  course  — 
^he  never  did  ;  but  it  was  such  a  relief  to  put  his 
feelings  into  words.  That  she  would  be  angry  at 
some  of  his  words  he  knew,  but  it  made  him  laugh 
to  think  of  the  disdainful  lips  and  flashing  eyes. 

He  must  have  laughed  aloud,  for  a  man  stretched 
apon  the  ground  suddenly  asked  him  what  the  joke 
ivas. 

"  Oh,  just  a  passing  thought,"  Eichard  answered. 
'  A  man  has  to  think  funny  things  to  keep  alive  in 
this  state  of  inactivity  into  which  we  are  called." 

"  You  would  like  a  little  excitement  ? " 

"  Indeed  I  should,  'Tis  now  six  weeks  since  I 
«3ame  into  camp,  and  only  that  one  secret  trip  with 
you  down  the  river  has  broken  the  monotony  of 
drilling  and  mounting  guard." 

The  man,  a  Virginian  named  Dunn,  one  of  the 
most  daring  and  capable  scouts  of  the  array, 
smoked  a  moment  in  silence. 

"  How  would  you  like  to  witness  the  festivities 
in  honour  of  General  Howe  before  he  leaves  Phila- 
delphia?" 

Richard's  eyes  lit  up.  "  Take  me  with  you, 
Dunn ! "  he  cried,  with  great  eagerness. 

"  H-u-s-h !  "  said  Dunn.     "  Nothing  is  arranged 


46  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

yet ;  but  there  will  be  much  to  learn  of  the  enemy's 
intended  movements,  and  when  would  there  fall 
so  fine  a  chance  as  these  days  of  festivit^^  when 
wine  and  tongues  will  both  run  free?  If  I  can  so 
fix  it,  you  shall  go  with  me ;  you  suit  me  better 
than  Price,  for  you  are  quicker  to  catch  a  cue. 
You  have  got  just  one  fault  for  this  kind  of  busi- 
ness—  you  are  always  so  d — n  sure  of  yourself 
and  your  own  powers;  a  little  humility  would 
improve  you." 

Richard  laughed  and  wrung  his  hand.  "You 
can  knock  me  down  for  a  conceited  coxcomb,  only 
take  me  with  you." 

For  a  few  days  the  French  alliance  was  the 
all-absorbing  theme  of  talk ;  and  La  Fayette's 
laughing  prophecy  that  France's  recognition  of  a 
republic  would  one  day  come  home  to  her  seemed, 
to  these  aroused  sons  of  Liberty,  like  an  augury 
that  the  countries  of  the  Old  World  would  one 
day  follow  in  the  paths  their  swords  were  blazing 
out  —  the  paths  that  lead  over  thrones  and  crowns 
to  self-government.  But  Eichard  soon  had  other 
things  whereof  to  think.  Dunn  was  planning  his 
expedition  into  the  lines  of  the  enemy ;  but  two 
weeks  went  by  before  he  came  to  Richard's  tent 
and  beckoned  him  aside. 

"  To-night  at  eight,  by  the  pine  tree  down  the 
road.  I  have  spoken  to  your  captain,  so  there  will 
be  no  hubbub  about  your  absence.  Bring  no  arms 
but  your  pistols." 

Under  the  young  May  moon  Richard  kept  his 


THE    FETE    AT    PHILADELPHIA.  47 

tryst  with  the  veteran  scout,  as  eager  as  a  lover  to 
meet  his  mistress. 

"  Sit  down,"  said  Dunn.  "  I  shall  tell  you  my 
mission,  for  I  do  not  work  by  halves.  Sometimes 
an  assistant  has  to  act  on  his  own  responsibility, 
and  he  spoils  sport  if  he  does  not  know  the  plan. 
First,  we  are  to  find  out  when  the  British  are  to 
move,  what  is  their  destination,  and  by  what  road 
they  will  go.  If  an  attack  is  to  be  made  before- 
hand on  our  camp,  we  must  bring  back  the  plans. 
If  there  is  a  chance  for  our  men  to  strike  a  blow, 
we  must  know  it." 

"  And  how  are  we  to  learn  these  things  ? " 

"  By  keeping  our  ears  and  eyes  open  and  our 
wits  sharpened.  It  will  take  cool  heads  and 
steady  nerves.  "We  are  to  gain  entrance  into  the 
city  as  ordinary  labourers.  In  this  bundle  are  the 
necessary  clothes.  Circumstances  must  govern  us 
after  we  are  there.     Now  to  get  ready." 

It  took  but  a  few  minutes  to  transform  the  sol- 
diers into  workmen,  so  far  as  dress  makes  a  trans- 
formation. Leaving  their  uniforms  in  the  hollow 
of  a  tree,  where  Dunn's  man  was  to  search  for 
them,  they  mounted  their  horses  and  set  off  by  an 
unused  road  toward  the  distant  city.  The  direct 
route  would  have  given  them  about  twenty  miles 
of  travel,  but  the  numerous  diversions  they  were 
obliged  to  make  added  a  fourth  of  that  distance 
to  their  journey,  so  there  was  a  gray  streak  of 
dawn  in  the  sky  ahead  o^  them  when  they  drew 
rein  at  a  lonely  cabin  on  the  edge  of  a  wood,  be- 


48  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

yond  which  were  the  cleared  fields  of  a  farm  that 
skirted  the  city.  On  the  door  of  this  hut  Dunn 
struck  three  sharp  taps,  then  one,  then  two.  After 
the  signal  was  repeated  the  door  was  cautiously 
opened  by  a  man  within,  who,  upon  being  assured 
of  the  identity  of  the  newcomers,  bade  them  enter ; 
and  Kichard  found  himself  in  an  humble  room 
whose  rafters  were  hung  with  drying  herbs  that 
gave  out  a  pungent  odour. 

In  a  few  words  Dunn  explained  to  the  man, 
whom  he  called  George,  something  of  their  pur- 
pose. 

"Well,  I  was  expecting  you.  My  vegetable 
cart  starts  in  two  hours ;  one  of  you  can  go  with 
me,  the  other  must  straggle  on  behind,  for  two 
would  be  more  than  is  safe  with  one  cart.  My 
daily  pass  allows  me  an  assistant." 

When  their  horses  had  been  hidden  in  an  out- 
house, Richard  and  Dunn  threw  themselves  down 
and  slept  heavily  until  the  carter  aroused  them. 
The  smell  of  breakfast,  along  with  his  eagerness 
for  the  coming  adventure,  made  Richard  quick  to 
answer  the  summons,  and  in  a  short  time  the 
three  were  on  their  way.  It  had  been  arranged 
that  Richard,  who  knew  nothing  of  the  city, 
should  go  on  with  the  carter,  and  that  Dunn 
should  take  his  chances  and  follow.  But  in  the 
public  road,  where  other  carts  were  beginning  to 
appear,  they  overtook  a  black-eyed  lass  carrying  a 
huge  basket  of  eggs.  It  took  but  a  few  glances, 
flashed    coquettishly   across   the    road,   to    bring 


•'  Thus  they  rASSED,  with  small  parley,  the  picket  posts. 


THE    FETE    AT    PHILADELPHIA.  49 

Richard  to  her  side.  There  were  some  gallant 
speeches,  a  protest  that  ended  in  a  pouting  laugh, 
and  then  the  two  went  down  the  road  like  old 
friends,  merry  with  the  carelessness  of  youth,  she 
swinging  her  hands  idly,  he  carrying  her  basket. 
Thus  they  passed,  with  small  parley,  the  picket 
posts,  for  the  guards  knew  the  girl  who  came  and 
went  daily  with  her  market  wares. 

Once  they  were  in  the  city,  Richard  bade  adieu 
to  his  companion,  and,  after  some  little  search, 
joined  Dunn  behind  the  market-house,  the  latter 
having  slipped  in  by  an  obscure  alley.  They  soon 
knew  from  the  talk  on  the  streets  and  the  general 
air  of  bustle  that  the  fete  they  had  come  to  wit- 
ness was  to  begin  on  the  water,  so  they  repaired 
to  the  pier  above  the  city  and  waited  for  a  chance 
to  slip  into  the  crowd.  The  opportunity  came 
through  a  boatman,  who  wanted  two  men  to  help 
row  his  barge  down  to  the  appointed  landing. 
They  readily  bargained  to  go,  and  took  their 
places  in  the  boat,  which  was  soon  filled  with  a 
gay  crowd  of  ladies  and  their  escorts,  all  in  gala 
humour  and  attire.  Richard,  sitting  in  front  of 
Dunn,  forgot  all  about  his  oar  as  he  watched  the 
flutter  of  the  brilliant  throng,  the  glowing  faces, 
the  flashing  smiles.  Never  before  had  he  seen 
so  many  magnificent  costumes  or  such  an  array 
of  masculine  and  feminine  beauty.  But  there 
was  one  face  that  seemed  strangely  familiar  —  a 
face  with  dark  eyes  and  tropical  colouring  of  olive 
and  carmine.     Where  had  he  seen  it  ?    Nowhere, 


50  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

he  felt  sure,  for  a  girl  like  that  was  not  to  be 
forgotten.  And  yet  his  eyes  went  back  to  her 
as  to  a  friend.  Who,  then,  was  it  she  resembled? 
He  was  searching  his  memory  for  a  cue  when 
suddenly  something  struclc  him  sharply  on  the 
arm,  and  Dunn  said  in  a  whisper:  — 

"Mind  your  oar  and  quit  gaping  that  way; 
the  whole  company  will  be  noticing  it  directly, 
and  coming  over  to  examine  you,  and  that'll  be 
a  pretty  kettle  of  fish ! " 

Richard  picked  up  his  oar  quickly,  ashamed  of 
his  defection  ;  but  for  the  life  of  him  he  could  not 
keep  his  eyes  from  the  dark,  vivacious  face  across 
the  boat,  until  her  escort,  a  splendidly  dressed  offi- 
cer* of  Howe's  staff,  laughed  and  said  to  her :  — 

"  I  told  you  all  hearts  ^vould  be  at  your  feet 
this  day,  and  see,  even  the  boatman  over  there  is 
worshipping  from  afar." 

The  half  whisper  reached  Richard,  and  as  the 
girl  turned  toward  him  their  eyes  met.  She 
laughed,  and  then  threw  up  her  head  with  a  dis- 
dainful toss,  turning  back  to  her  companion.  But 
the  gesture  had  cleared  the  doubt  in  Richard's 
mind.  It  was  Mary  Singleton  over  again,  and 
the  vivid  likeness  was  to  her.  This  must  be  her 
Philadelphia  cousin,  of  whom  he  had  often  heard. 
She  would  know  much  of  the  plans  of  the  British, 
for  her  father  was  an  intimate  of  Howe,  and  she 
herself  said  to  be  betrothed  to  his  chief  of  staff. 
This  much  Richard  remembered  from  Joscelyn's 
talk,  and  glad  he  was  to  recall  the  idle  chatter 


THE   FETE    AT   PHILADELPHIA.  51 

which  at  the  time  had  bored  him,  since  it  kept 
him  from  more  personal  conversation.  It  was 
of  Joscelyn  and  himself  that  he  had  always 
wanted  to  talk;  but  she  had  declared  lightly 
that  neither  subject  suited  her,  for  her  own 
charms  were  too  patent  to  need  comment,  and 
his  were  too  few  to  bear  exposure,  and  had  gone 
on  to  tell  him  of  the  Singletons,  whom  she  knew 
through  Mary's  letters.  A  plan  that  seemed  like 
the  gauzy  web  of  a  fairy  tale  began  to  weave 
itself  in  Richard's  mind  as  he  bent  to  his  oar. 

The  river  was  full  of  boats  of  every  description, 
from  barges  like  the  one  he  was  in,  to  giddy 
cockleshells  that  seemed  a  dare  to  Providence 
as  they  careened  and  dipped  and  darted  in  and 
out  among  the  larger  craft,  like  monster  dragon- 
flies  rather  than  conveyances  for  human  beings. 
And  each  one,  great  and  small,  was  packed  from 
prow  to  stern  with  a  laughing,  singing  crowd 
in  festal  array.  As  the  gay  fleet  approached  the 
appointed  landing-place,  it  passed  in  line  between 
two  men-of-war  strung  with  flags  and  sun-kissed 
garlands ;  and  then,  amid  the  music  of  hautboys, 
the  braying  of  trumpets,  and  the  booming  of  guns, 
the  company  landed  and  proceeded  to  the  grounds 
laid  out  for  the  tourney  which  was  to  be  the  chief 
event  of  the  day.  It  Avas  a  dazzling  picture  upon 
which  the  afternoon  sun  looked  down.  In  the 
centre  stretched  the  tourney  ring,  around  which 
beautiful  women,  gorgeously  gowned,  sat  on  mimic 
thrones  to  watch  their  gallants  —  tricked  out  like 


62  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

knights  of  old  —  contend  for  the  honours.  The 
multi-hued  throng  of  spectators  filled  out  the 
picture  which  had  for  its  foreground  the  river 
with  its  decorated  craft,  and  for  its  background 
the  deep  green  of  the  forest,  with  the  city's 
clustrered  roofs  to  one  side.  Thousands  of  flags 
and  garlands  and  streamers  of  ribbon  tossed  in 
the  wind,  while  the  music,  like  the  invisible  in- 
cense of  pleasure,  drifted  like  the  sunshine  every- 
where. 

And  the  man  for  whom  this  was  all  planned  sat 
on  his  dais,  the  embodiment  of  soldierly  bearing, 
of  courtesy  and  gratification ;  for  this  splendid 
demonstration  told  unequivocally  the  appreciation 
in  which  the  army  held  him,  notwithstanding  the 
implied  disapprobation  of  the  home  government 
in  so  promptly  accepting  his  resignation,  tendered, 
no  doubt,  in  an  hour  of  chagrin  and  hurt  pride 
at  the  strictures  passed  upon  him  at  home. 

As  soon  as  the  barge  was  tied  to  its  pier,  Rich- 
ard and  Dunn  mingled  with  the  throng,  bent  on 
seeing  the  sport.  Kichard  longed  to  become  a 
part  of  the  merry-making,  but  knew  he  must  be 
content  to  be  a  spectator.  lie  looked  about  care- 
fully for  the  black-eyed  girl,  and  finally  located 
her  through  a  remark  overheard  in  the  crowd  :  — 

"  Mistress  Singleton  occupies  the  place  of  honour 
on  the  right  of  the  master  of  ceremonies." 

And  when  he  had  pushed  his  way  farther  on,  he 
saw  her.  So  he  had  been  right ;  this  was  Ellen 
Singleton,  the  fiancie  of  Grant,  one  of  the  most 


THE   FETE    AT   PHILADELPHIA.  53 

accomplished  officers  under  Howe.  All  the  after- 
noon he  lingered  in  her  vicinity,  but  unable  to  ad- 
vance in  any  way  the  mad  scheme  he  had  in  mind. 
"When  darkness  fell,  the  company  repaired  to  the 
hall  where  the  tourney  victor  crowned  his  queen, 
and  the  dancers  took  their  places  to  spend  the 
time  until  supper  w^as  announced.  More  than 
four  hundred  guests  sat  down  to  that  table,  over 
which  twelve  hundred  Avaxen  candles  shed  their 
radiance.  As  Richard  leaned  into  one  of  the  low 
windows,  absorbed  in  the  scene,  he  noticed  that 
Grant  was  whispering  earnestly  to  his  fair  com- 
panion, and  that  she  looked  serious,  even  alarmed. 
Before  he  had  finished  wondering  at  the  cause, 
some  one  touched  him  on  the  arm,  and  he  turned 
to  find  Dunn  at  his  elbow. 

"  Hist ! "  said  the  latter  ;  "  something  is  afoot. 
Couriers  have  come,  and  General  Howe  spoke  with 
them  apart  in  the  anteroom,  and  you  should  have 
seen  his  face  light  up  as  he  listened.  It  is,  of 
course,  something  about  our  troops.  I  heard  La 
Fayette's  name,  but  can  get  no  particulars.  Grant 
is  leaving  the  table ;  keep  him  in  sight  if  possible 
while  I  try  the  couriers." 

Mistress  Singleton  also  had  risen,  and  was  leav- 
ing the  room  on  Grant's  arm.  Quitting  the  win- 
dow hastily,  Richard  was  at  the  door  when  they 
came  out  of  the  hall. 

"  I  must  speak  with  you,"  Grant  said  earnestly, 
in  a  low  tone,  to  the  girl  on  his  arm.  The  lawn 
was  practically  deserted,  and  the  mimic  thrones 


54  JOSCELYN   CHESHIKE. 

erected  for  the  tourney  stood  unoccupied  in  the 
blended  light  of  the  moon  and  flambeaux,  "  The 
general's  pavilion  yonder  is  our  best  place.  There 
are  some  ladies  and  gentlemen  on  the  far  side,  but 
at  the  corner,  there  where  the  shadow  falls,  no  one 
is  sitting.     Come." 

He  led  her  across  the  open  space,  and  Richard 
saw  them  take  their  places  in  the  dim  light,  the 
girl's  white  dress  marking  the  spot  even  from 
Avhere  he  stood.  He  followed  slowly,  not  know- 
ing what  next  to  do,  for  he  was  too  new  in  the 
role  of  scout  to  willingly  play  at  eavesdropping, 
so  he  stood  irresolutely  near  the  pavilion  Tvatch- 
ing  the  quiet  couple  at  one  side  and  the  bevy  of 
laughing  revellers  at  the  other.  Evidently  Mis- 
tress Singleton  was  much  agitated,  for  her  hand 
rose  in  frequent  gesture,  and  her  voice  was  a  trifle 
shrill.  Presently  two  young  men  from  the  other 
party  came  down  the  pavilion  steps,  and  one  of 
them  dropped  his  long  military  cloak  in  the  shadow 
at  the  end  of  the  step,  saying  he  would  find  it 
again  after  the  dance.  Then  they  passed  on. 
Behind  them  two  soldiers  came  at  quickstep,  and 
Richard  heard  these  words :  — 

"  Grant's  division  has  the  orders.  Quick  work 
of  the  whole  crew  of  rebels." 

In  the  light  of  the  flambeau  at  the  banquet-hall 
door  Richard  saw  Dunn,  and  hastened  to  join  him. 
Putting  together  what  they  had  gathered,  they 
made  out  that  La  Fayette  had  left  Valley  Forge 
with  a  body  of  troops,  intending  to  do  whatever 


THE    FETE    AT   PHILADELPHIA.  55 

mischief  he  might,  but  that  his  movement  had 
been  discovered,  and  Howe  was  planning  to  cap- 
ture his  whole  force,  and  Grant  was  to  be  detailed 
for  the  work.  But  what  his  course  would  be,  when 
he  would  set  out,  and  what  force  would  be  with 
him  were  things  yet  to  learn.  However,  these 
were  the  very  things  La  Fayette  would  want  to 
know.  Dunn  was  waiting  for  Howe  to  leave  the 
banquet-hall,  so  Eichard  went  back  to  his  vigil 
near  the  pavilion.  As  he  approached,  Grant  was 
coming  down  the  steps. 

"  I  shall  not  be  gone  twenty  minutes.  Tou  are 
quite  safe,  for  Mistress  Hamlin  is  just  behind  jon, 
and  I'll  send  one  of  the  officers  to  sit  with  vou. 
"Wait  for  me,  for  it  may  be  our  last  meeting." 

Evidently  the  girl  consented,  for  she  kept  her 
place  while  he  sprang  down  the  steps  and  strode 
toward  the  lighted  hall. 

The  wild  plan  Eichard  had  cherished  all  day 
was  to  speak  with  this  girl  on  equal  terms.  It 
might  cost  him  his  life,  but  a  very  dare-devil 
spirit  of  adventure  took  possession  of  him.  "Now 
was  the  hour  of  which  he  had  dimly  dreamed. 
He  did  not  stop  to  think,  but  stooping  into  the 
shadow,  he  snatched  up  the  long  cloak  lying 
there  and  wrapped  it  about  him,  turning  up  the 
collar  jauntily.  Then  with  his  heart  thumping 
against  his  ribs,  but  with  a  smile  on  his  face,  he 
came  to  the  side  of  the  steps  nearest  the  girl  and 
went  boldly  up  into  the  pavilion. 


CHAPTEE   YII. 

A    DARE-DEVIL    DEED. 
"  Thou  fool,  to  thrust  thy  head  into  a  noose."  — Anon. 

r  I  "lIIE  girl  was  leaning  back  with  her  hand  over 
-*-     her  eyes,  evidently  in  deep  thought. 

"  Ah,  Captain,"  she  said,  as  Richard  paused, 
mistaking  him  for  one  of  Mistress  Hamlin's  party 
from  across  the  pavilion,  "  you  have  come  to  bear 
me  company  in  Major  Grant's  absence  ? " 

"  With  your  permission,"  answered  Richard,  gal- 
lantly, "  and  if  Providence  is  kind  to  me,  General 
Howe  will  find  much  to  say  to  him." 

"  That  is  not  likely,  since  the  plans  are  all  laid." 

"  Yes ;  they  were  not  long  in  the  forming,"  he 
ventured  cautiously.  "  The  division  marches  to- 
night." 

"  So  soon  ?  I  thought  it  was  at  ten  in  the 
morning? " 

"  No  doubt,  then,  I  was  misinformed ;  I  was 
not  at  the  meeting  with  the  couriers.  If  Major 
Grant  said  ten  in  the  morning,  then  it  must  be 
so,"  he  hastily  corrected  himself;  but  he  had 
learned  one  needed  item. 

"  I  hoped  it  had  been  hurried  up  that  it  might 
the  sooner  be  over." 

56 


A    DARE-DEVIL    DEED.  57 

"  This  French  marquis  is  inclined  to  give  us 
trouble  and  himself  airs." 

"  Indeed,  yes ;  but  General  Howe  will  have 
his  revenge  when,  after  this  fight  to-morrow,  he 
sends  the  young  upstart  back  to  England  in 
chains." 

"  That  will  he.  It  would  be  a  glorious  sight  to 
see  our  gallant  general  capture  him  with  his  own 
hands." 

"  Oh,  Major  Grant  will  attend  to  that,"  she 
replied  loftily.  "  General  Howe  will  do  his 
share  when  he  receives  the  prisoners  at  Chestnut 
Hill." 

So  Chestnut  Hill  road  was  to  be  their  route. 
Richard  mentally  recorded  it,  while  he  said  with 
incisive  compliment,  "  Major  Grant  has  the  place 
of  honour." 

The  pleasure  in  her  voice  when  she  answered 
told  that  the  arrow  had  hit  its  mark.  "Major 
Grant  could  have  circumvented  the  rebels  with 
half  the  five  thousand  men  assigned  to  him." 

"  He  takes  so  many  ?  'Tis  a  large  force  for  so 
skilful  an  officer,  unless,  indeed,  the  enemy  should 
be  very  strong." 

"  Oh,  I  think  they  reach  not  half  that  number." 

"With  the  hour  of  starting,  the  route  and  the 
force  to  be  sent,  Richard  now  knew  all  he  had 
hoped  to  learn.  Grant  might  return  any  moment, 
so  that  his  peril  was  imminent ;  and  yet  the  au- 
dacity of  the  adventure  gave  it  such  spice  that  he 
lingered  unwilling,  as  he  was  unable  to  frame  an 


58  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

excuse  for  withdrawing,  filling  in  the  pause  with 
comments  on  the  day's  festivities. 

"  Your  company  does  not  go  with  the  attacking 
party  ? "  she  said  presently,  as  though  it  wern 
something  they  both  knew  positively. 

"  No,"  he  replied,  catching  the  cue,  but  wonder  • 
ing  which  company  was  supposedly  his,  and  foit 
whom  had  she  taken  him, 

"Major  Grant  told  me  you  would  go  as  tho 
general's  escort  to  receive  and  guard  the  pris' 
oners." 

"  That  sounds  very  tame  after  his  own  share  in 
the  work.  Major  Grant  was  surely  born  under  s. 
lucky  star,  to  be  so  favoured  as  he  is  by  Mars  and 
the  little  blind  god  of  love."  There  was  a  tone  in 
his  voice  that  she  could  not  fail  to  understand,  and 
she  laughed  coyly  in  answer.  He  ought  to  go,  ho 
knew ;  but  still  he  lingered,  and  presently,  urgea 
on  by  the  spirit  of  recklessness  that  possessed  him, 
he  said:  "You  have  relatives  in  the  south,  Mis^ 
tress  Singleton  ? " 

"  Yes.  How  did  you  happen  to  know  ? "  She 
turned  toward  him  so  abruptly  that  he  was  for 
a  moment  disconcerted. 

"  Why,  it  is  not  a  government  secret,"  he  said^ 
laughinof. 

"  But  you  are  not  from  the  south  ;  you  are  Eng- 
lish. How  should  you  know,  and  why  should  you 
think  of  it  just  at  this  time  ?  " 

She  had  scarcely  looked  at  him  before,  being 
too  busy  watching  the  door  of  the  banquet-hall 


i 


A   DAKE-DEVIL    DEED.  59 

for  Grant's  return;  but  she  had  now  lifted  her 
eyes  directly  to  his  face.  Discovery  seemed  immi- 
nent. Cursing  himself  inwardly,  he  hastily  put 
up  his  hand  to  smother  a  pretended  cough,  thank- 
ful that  the  light  was  behind  him.  But  her  scru- 
tiny continued. 

"  Captain  Barry  —  "  she  said,  with  that  in  her 
voice  that  told  him  she  was  not  quite  satisfied. 

"  At  your  service  —  would  that  I  could  say  for- 
ever," he  said,  putting  all  the  tenderness  possible 
in  his  voice,  and  clicking  his  heels  in  a  low  salute. 
Was  everything  over  with  him?  Fool  that  he 
was  to  have  tempted  fate  by  such  an  allusion. 

She  pushed  her  chair  back  as  though  to  rise, 
but  at  this  moment  there  was  a  stir  about  the 
lighted  doorway  across  the  sward,  and  Grant  came 
out.  If  he  reached  the  pavilion  before  Kichard 
found  an  excuse  to  retire  his  neck  would  pay  the 
forfeit  of  his  daring.  He  was  thinking  hard  and 
fast.  The  girl  sank  back  with  a  sigh  of  pleasure, 
her  doubt  of  her  companion  momentarily  forgotten 
in  the  joy  of  her  lover's  return. 

"  Your  superior  oificer,"  she  laughed  softly  and 
proudly, 

"Yes,"  he  replied,  with  that  audacity  which, 
even  in  danger,  could  not  be  quelled ;  "  my  supe- 
rior in  the  ways  of  wooing  as  well  as  in  the  ways 
of  war,  since  against  him  I  have  no  chance  to  win 
a  smile  from  your  lips.  You  will  have  much  to 
say  to  him  in  these  last  moments  —  and  Mistress 
Hamlin  is  going,"  he  added  with  a  quick  throb  of 


60  JOSCELYN    CHESHIKE. 

gratitude  as  the  party  across  the  pavilion  left 
their  seats. 

"  You  need  not  leave  us,"  she  said  with  half- 
hearted politeness ;  but  already  Grant  was  at  the 
foot  of  the  steps,  and,  with  an  audacious  kiss  upon 
the  hand  she  held  out  to  him,  Richard  turned, 
and,  with  a  beating  heart  but  no  seeming  haste, 
fell  into  the  rear  of  the  company  across  the  pavil- 
ion, descending  the  steps  so  close  behind  them  as 
to  seem  to  an  onlooker  to  be  a  member  of  the 
party.  Every  moment  was  precious  to  him,  and 
yet  he  loitered  along  the  lighted  sward  as  if 
eternity  were  his.  As  he  reached  the  corner  of 
the  building  he  heard  Grant  call :  — 

"  Barry,  Barry  !  " 

But  he  pretended  not  to  hear,  and  sauntered  on 
into  the  shadow.  There  his  pace  quickened.  No 
one  stopped  him,  for  his  military  cloak  completely 
disguised  him,  and  presently  he  found  himself 
near  the  landing.  In  an  empty  boat-house  he  cast 
aside  his  borrowed  garment,  and  soon  found  Dunn 
near  the  barge  at  the  appointed  place  of  meeting. 
The  old  scout  listened  to  his  adventure  with 
amazement  not  unmixed  with  anger. 

"You  confounded  dare-devil,  you  might  have 
spoiled  the  whole  plan,"  he  cried ;  yet  acknowl- 
edging inwardly  that  he  knew  no  one  else  who 
would  have  dared  to  thrust  his  neck  so  far  into  a 
noose.  He  himself  had  not  been  idle,  and  piecing 
together  their  bits  of  information,  they  made  out 
that  La  Fayette  had  crossed  the  Schuylkill  and 


A   DARE-DEVIL   DEED.  61 

taken  a  post  of  observation  on  a  range  of  knobs 
known  as  Barren  Hill,  and  that  Howe's  plan  was 
to  capture  him  as  a  brilliant  close  to  a  campaign 
that  had  been  so  much  criticised.  It  became 
therefore  instantly  necessary  to  warn  the  marquis 
of  the  plot.  The  details  Eichard  had  gotten  from 
the  unsuspecting  girl  gave  them  all  they  needed 
to  round  out  their  plan ;  the  one  thing  now  was 
to  escape  and  carry  the  information  to  La  Fay- 
ette. This  Richard  found  more  difficult  than  he 
had  imagined  from  their  easy  entrance  ;  for  they 
had  no  friendly  carter  and  market-maid  beside 
them,  and  despite  the  festivity,  the  pickets  were 
keeping  strict  watch  at  the  outposts.  Finally,  by 
creeping  on  their  hands  for  half  a  mile  behind  a 
hedge,  they  managed  to  evade  detection  ;  but  the 
sun  was  already  high  over  the  eastern  horizon 
before  they  gained  the  banks  of  the  Schuylkill. 
Keeping  close  to  the  stream  and  avoiding  the  open 
road,  they  finall}^  came  upon  a  row-boat  hidden 
among  the  reeds  in  a  cove.  This,  without  cere- 
mony, they  appropriated,  and  were  soon  making 
more  rapid  progress  on  their  journey.  For  a  long 
while  nothing  but  the  oars  was  heard ;  then  sud- 
denly Richard  laughed  aloud. 

"  Suppose  that  young  gallant  had  come  back  for 
his  cloak  while  I  was  talking  with  the  girl  ? " 

"  You'd  have  had  to  content  yourself  with 
the  angels  —  or  the  imps  —  hereafter,"  growled 
Dunn. 

But  Richard  laughed  again.     "  "Well,  I'm  glad 


62  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

he  stayed  away,  for  'tis  pleasanter  entertaining 
beautiful  girls.  It  will  be  great  sport  to  say  in 
my  home  letters  that  I,  a  private  in  the  Conti- 
nental army,  was  one  of  Mistress  Singleton's  at- 
tendants at  General  Howe's  fete  !  Mary  will  get 
it  all  from  Joscelyn  and  write  it  back  to  the  lady, 
and  she  will  then  know  who  the  supposed  Barry 
was.     "Who  is  Barr}^,  anyhow  ?  " 

"One  of  the  finest  of  the  young  officers  that 
wears  the  red  — a  soldier  and  a  lady-killer,  so 
they  tell  me."  Long  afterward  Eichard  recalled 
the  words. 

Presently  Dunn,  who  had  been  looking  intently 
ahead,  said:  "This  is  the  place;  yonder  are  the 
two  dead  oaks  by  which  I  always  locate  Matson's 
ford.  We  will  tie  up  here  and  cut  across  country 
to  the  hills,  trusting  to  luck  to  find  the  way  to 
La  Fayette.  Grant's  guides,  knowing  their  road, 
give  him  the  advantage,  for  I  have  never  been 
sent  to  this  part  of  the  country,  so  am  ignorant 
of  my  bearings.  It  must  be  near  to  noon,  and 
the  British  column  has  long  ago  started." 

"  Will  they  guard  this  ford,  do  you  think  ? " 

"  Hardly,  for  it  is  nearer  to  the  English  than 
to  us.  La  Fayette  will  retreat  as  he  came,  by 
the  one  higher  up," 

"Will  he  fight  first?" 

"  He  may  be  forced  to ;  otherwise,  no.  It  would 
be  folly  to  deliberately  engage  the  superior  force 
sent  against  him.  If  we  only  knew  the  direct 
path ! " 


A    DARE-DEVIL   DEED.  63 

"  If  we  only  had  some  breakfast,"  sighed 
Richard. 

They  wanted  to  ask  their  way  at  the  scattered 
cottages  and  of  the  men  at  work  in  the  fields, 
but  they  knew  not  friends  from  foes.  Once  they 
lay  for  an  hour  under  a  plum  thicket,  not  ventur- 
ing to  move,  while  two  men,  who  had  met  in 
the  road,  stopped  their  horses  for  a  talk.  The 
afternoon  was  beginning  to  wane  when  they 
-came  to  a  secluded  farmhouse  where  an  old 
svoman  gave  them  something  to  eat,  and,  thinking 
fchey  were  Tories,  warned  them  that  a  body  of 
A.mericans  was  said  to  be  camped  three  miles  to 
'.he  southwest.  They  thanked  her,  but  once  out 
of  her  sight  they  turned  joyfully  in  the  forbidden 
direction,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  were  called  to 
halt  by  two  men  with  bayonets. 

"  Take  us  to  your  general,  and  take  us  quick," 
said  Dunn. 

La  Fayette  recognized  Dunn  instantly,  and 
received  his  news  with  much  emotion,  for  he  had 
hoped  to  strike  a  telling  blow  on  some  of  the 
outposts,  and  maybe  cut  off  a  foraging  party, 
whose  members  would  be  valuable  prisoners  for 
exchange.  Now  there  was  nothing  but  to  turn 
back.  But  even  as  they  were  making  ready 
for  a  retreat  over  the  road  by  which  they  had 
come,  his  scouts  came  flying  through  the  lines 
with  the  news  that  Grant  was  close  upon  them 
in  the  rear,  having  made  a  circuitous  march 
in    order    to  get  between  them  and  their  camp 


64  JOSCELTN    CHESHIKE. 

at  Valley  Forge.  La  Fayette  set  his  teeth  as 
he  said  :  — 

"Then  'tis  fight,  though  that  means  death  to 
every  brave  man  here." 

But  Dunn  told  of  Matson's  ford  still  unguarded, 
and  the  commander  was  quick  to  seize  the  one 
chance  left  to  save  his  men,  and  before  midnight 
the  little  band  was  safely  over  the  river,  with 
their  faces  toward  Yalley  Forge.  There  they 
were  received  with  cheers  by  their  comrades, 
who,  having  heard  some  wild  rumours  brought 
by  two  countrj^men  from  beyond  the  Schuylkill, 
had  feared  the  worst  for  them. 

That  night,  long  after  Richard  was  sleeping 
the  sleep  of  healthy  but  exhausted  youth,  Dunn 
sat  in  the  oflQcers'  quarters  and  told  how,  with 
a  military  rain-coat  over  his  workman's  blouse, 
Richard  Clevering  had  played  the  gallant  to  the 
beauty  of  Philadelphia  and  the  Jia7icee  of  Howe's 
chief  of  staff. 


CHAPTER  YIIL 
A  maid's  dream  and  the  devil's  wooing. 

"  A  pleasing  land  of  drowsy  head  it  was : 
Of  dreams  that  wave  before  the  half -shut  eye  ; 
And  of  gay  castles  in  the  clouds  that  pass, 
Forever  flushing  round  a  summer  sky." 

,  — Thompson. 

IT  was  June-time  in  the  beautiful  hill  country 
along  the  Eno.  Down  the  long  road  that 
sloped  to  the  bridge  from  the  west  two  horses 
took  their  leisurely  way,  while  their  riders  talked 
or  were  silent  at  will.  Below  them,  in  the  curve 
of  the  river,  lay  the  town  in  a  green  summer 
dream ;  the  roadside  was  lined  with  nodding  blos- 
som heads,  and  the  thickets  were  a-rustle  now  and 
then  with  the  subdued  whir  of  wings,  for  the  song 
season  of  their  feathered  tenants  was  done,  and 
sparrow  and  wren  and  bluebird  were  busy  with 
family  cares. 

"  Joscelyn,  you  are  not  listening  to  a  word  I  am 
saying,"  complained  Mary  Singleton,  petulantly, 
after  repeating  a  question  a  second  time  and  get- 
ting no  answer. 

"  1  beg  your  pardon,  Mary ;  I  believe  you  are 
right." 

"  Of  what  were  you  thinking  so  intently  ? " 

fi5 


66  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

"  I  was  not  thinking.  It  is  too  delicious  this 
afternoon  to  do  anything,  even  think.  I  am  just 
resting  my  mind." 

""Well,  I  find  you  very  dull  under  such  a 
process." 

" '  A  friend  should  bear  a  friend's  infirmity,' " 
quoted  Joscelyn. 

"  Dulness  is  not  an  infirmity  ;  it  is  a  crime." 
'    "Then    methinks   the   world   must   be   full   of 
criminals." 

"  And  those  who  are  so  intentionally  and  volun- 
tarily should  be  punished  like  other  wrong-doers." 

Joscelyn  laughed.  "Well,  pass  sentence  upon 
me,  most  wise  judge,  if  you  think  I  was  not  born 
that  way  and  that  the  sin  is  intentional.  Am  I 
to  hang  for  it,  or  will  you  be  merciful  and  make 
it  a  prison  offence  ? " 

"  Oh,  you'll  get  the  hanging  soon  enough  if  you 
go  on  wearing  that  red  bodice  and  stringing  pic- 
tures of  King  George  on  your  balcony ! " 

"  So  mother  says.  And  hanging  is  not  a  becom- 
ing way  to  die ;  one  has  no  opportunity  to  say  that 
'  prunes,  prisms,  and  preserves '  sentence  that 
leaves  the  mouth  in  such  a  charming  pucker. 
Well,  since  my  lips  are  to  be  awry,  I  trust  they 
will  give  me  time  to  put  on  my  new  silver-buckled 
shoes.  It  would  be  a  comfort  to  know  that  at 
least  my  feet  looked  their  best." 

"  Joscelyn  !     You  are  perfectly  horrid." 

"  You  mean  I  would  be  without  the  '  prunes  and 
prisms '  expression." 


A  maid's  dream  and  the  devil's  wooing.    67 

Mary  struck  her  horse  and  rode  forward  a  few 
yards,  but  j^resently  fell  back  again  beside  her 
companion. 

"  What  I  asked  you  just  now  related  to  Eustace. 
Do  you  think  —  " 

"  I  said  I  Avas  not  thinking." 

"  Well,  begin  at  ouce.  Is  there  any  danger  that 
Eustace  will  really  try  to  marry  Betty  Clevering  ?  " 

"  Danger  is  a  wrong  word,  Mary.  If  Eustace  is 
ever  so  fortunate  as  to  win  Betty,  he  should  spend 
the  rest  of  his  life  in  thanksgiving.  She  is  as 
true  as  steel,  and  better  tempered  than  either 
of  us." 

"  I  am  not  disparaging  Betty,  and  I  have  often 
wished  our  parents  were  not  at  outs,  so  that  she 
and  I  might  be  better  friends ;  we  only  meet  at 
your  house  or  places  of  entertainment.  But,  Jos- 
celyn,  you  know  —  you  must  know  what  we  all 
have  hoped  for  you  and  Eustace." 

Joscelyn  turned  her  eyes  fully  and  calmly  upon 
her  companion.  "  Yes,  I  know.  I  should  have 
been  even  duller  than  you  pronounced  me  just  now 
not  to  see  through  your  plan.  Diplomacy  is  not 
yoMV  forte.''^ 

"  You  knew  I  —  we  all  wanted  you  to  marry—" 

"  Eustace  ?  Yes ;  he  and  I  have  often  laughed 
over  it  to  each  otner.  And  now  that  you  have 
mentioned  it,  I  want  to  tell  you  frankly  that  there 
is  not  the  faintest  possibility  of  such  a  thing. 
As  a  friend  Eustace  is  charming ;  but  as  a  hus- 
band—" 


68  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 


"  Don't !  Your  mouth  looks  as  if  jou  had  bitten 
a  green  persimmon." 

"  Well,  I  think  with  Eustace  as  a  husband  life 
would  be  all  green  persimmons,  without  any 
prunes  or  prisms  to  break  the  monotony.  It 
would  be  quite  as  bad  on  him  as  on  me ;  you 
would  make  us  both  utterly  miserable." 

"  I  cannot  believe  it.  I  know  Eustace  looks  at 
Betty  with  the  utmost  admiration,  and  manages 
often  to  meet  her ;  but  'tis  much  the  same  way 
with  every  pretty  girl,  — he  must  be  saying  sweet 
things  to  each  of  them.  But  in  his  heart  I  feel 
sure  he  prefers  you  above  all  the  rest,  only  your 
indifference  holds  him  aloof.  Here  is  a  letter  I 
had  this  morning,  in  which  he  devotes  a  whole 
page  to  happy  imaginings  about  a  soldier's  wel- 
come home  when  the  war  shall  be  over.  He 
grows  really  poetic  about  shy  eyes  and  the  joy 
of  holding  a  white  hand  in  his.  Whom  can  he 
mean  but  j'^ou  ? " 

"  Betty  has  shy  eyes,  and  Janet  has  the  whitest 
hands  I  know  anywhere.  As  you  said,  Eustace 
has  a  roving  fancy." 

Mary  sighed.  "  I  intended  to  read  the  letter  to 
you,  but  here  we  are  at  the  bridge,  and  we  will 
now  be  meeting  so  many  people." 

"  Give  it  to  me ;  I  will  read  it  at  home,"  Joscelyn 
said,  stretching  out  her  hand  with  sudden  interest. 
"  It  would  be  preposterous  to  waste  all  that  senti- 
ment on  a  mere  sister;  it  takes  an  outsider  to 
appreciate  touches  like  that.     Oh,  it  shall  be  read 


A  maid's  dream  and  the  devil's  wooing.    69 

with  all  the  accessories  of  a  grand  passion  —  sighs, 
smiles,  blushes,  and  suchlike  incense."  She 
laughed  as  she  tucked  the  letter  into  her  belt,  but 
she  did  not  say  who  the  reader  would  be,  and 
Mary  took  much  comfort  in  the  thought  that  she 
Avould  appropriate  the  sentimental  parts  to  her- 
self. Whose  eyes  were  softer  than  Joscelyn's, 
whose  hands  whiter  or  sweeter  to  hold  ? 

And  so,  each  thinking  her  own  thoughts,  they 
crossed  the  wooden  bridge  that  spanned  the  river, 
the  horses'  hoofs  making  a  rhythmic  clatter  on  the 
boards.  In  the  street  beyond  they  came  upon 
Mistress  Strudwick  carrying  an  uncovered  basket 
heaped  high  with  hanks  of  yarn.  The  road  was 
a  slight  ascent,  and  the  corpulent  dame  was  puff- 
ing sorely. 

"  Why,  Mistress  Strudwick,  you  with  such  a 
load  as  that  ?  What  does  this  mean  ? "  cried 
Joscelyn. 

"It  means  that  that  little  darky  of  mine  has 
run  away  again,  and  that  there'll  be  one  less  limb 
on  my  peach  tree  to-night  when  he  comes  back." 

"  Will  you  not  take  my  horse  and  ride  ? " 

"  It's  been  thirty  years  since  I  was  in  a  saddle, 
and  I'm  not  honing  to  wear  a  shroud." 

Joscelyn  leaned  down,  and  catching  the  handle, 
lifted  the  basket  to  the  pommel  of  her  saddle.  "  I 
will  not  see  you  make  yourself  ill  in  this  yya.y. 
Were  there  no  other  servants  to  spare  you  this 
exertion  ?     You  are  all  out  of  breath." 

A  curious  light  came  into  the  old  lady's  eyes  as 


70  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

she  saw  the  girl  steady  the  basket  in  front  of  her ; 
but  she  checked  the  words  that  had  sprung  to  her 
lips  and  trudged  slowly  along,  the  riders  holding 
back  their  horses  to  keep  beside  her. 

"  What  have  you  two  been  plotting  together 
this  afternoon  ? "  she  asked,  looking  from  one  to 
the  other  with  the  pleasure  age  often  finds  in  con- 
templating youth  and  beauty. 

"  Have  we  the  appearance  of  dark  conspira- 
tors ? "  laughed  Joscelyn. 

"Kay,  you  both  look  sweet  and  innocent 
enough ;  but  somehow  I'm  always  giving  that 
Bible  verse  a  twist  and  reading  it :  '  Where  two  or 
three  Tories  are  gathered  together,  there  is  the 
devil  in  their  midst.' " 

"  You  should  not  twist  your  Scripture,  Mistress 
Strudwick." 

''  Mayhap  not,  but  sometimes  it  makes  an  un- 
common good  hit." 

"  Well,  you  were  wrong  to-day.  Two  Loyalists 
have  been  congregated  together ;  but  Cupid,  rather 
than  the  devil,  has  been  our  co-conspirator." 

"  So  !  It  was  sweethearts  you  were  discussing  ? 
Tell  me  now,  was  it  your  match  or  Mary's  you 
were  arranging?  There  is  nothing  pleases  me 
more  than  a  wedding." 

"  I  thought  you  took  no  interest  in  matters  con- 
cerning King- George's  subjects." 

"  King  George  has  naught  to  do  with  the  wooing 
of  our  maids ;  and  love  is  love,  whether  it  be  Redcoat 
or  Continental,"  replied  the  old  matchmaker. 


A  maid's  dream  and  the  devil's  wooing.    71 

Joscelyn  laughed.  "  I  verily  believe  you'd  like 
to  know  the  courtship  of  Satan  himself,  provided 
he  had  one." 

"  Of  course  he  had,  my  dear,  and  a  most  engag- 
ing lover  he  made,  I'll  be  bound,  seeing  he  is  so 
apt  a  beguiler  in  other  things.  Oh,  yes,  every- 
body knows  that  Satan  is  a  married  man." 

"  Where  got  he  his  wife  ? " 

The  old  lady  threw  up  her  hands  with  quizzical 
scouting  :  "  'Tis  not  set  down  in  the  books,  but  it 
would  have  been  just  like  some  soft-hearted  crea- 
ture to  creep  after  him  when  he  was  exiled  from 
heaven.  And  she  is  not  the  only  woman  who 
has  followed  a  man  to  perdition,  either,  —  more's 
the  pity ! " 

"  You  are  seeing  things  awry  to-day.  Mistress 
Strudwick." 

"  Mayhap,  mayhap,"  puffed  the  old  lady.  "  I 
haven't  much  of  a  prophet's  eye,  but  I  see  things 
of  to-day  plain  enough,  and  I  know  that  you  are 
a  pair  of  uncommon  pretty  girls,  and  are  like  to 
have  many  a  beau  on  your  string ;  but  when  mar- 
rying time  comes,  take  an  old  woman's  advice  and 
choose  a  man  who  is  hale  and  hearty,  for  as  sure 
as  you  are  born,  love  flies  out  of  the  heart  when 
indigestion  enters  the  stomach." 

"  Truly,  Mistress  Strudwick,  you  are  better  than 
'  Poor  Richard's  Almanac,'  "  laughed  Joscel}^. 

"  Oh,  my  dear,  I've  seen  it  tried.  Courtship  is 
the  finest  thing  in  the  Avorld,  but  after  the  wed- 
ding love  is  largely  a  question  of  good  cooking ; 


72  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

and  although  vou  two  are  rank  Tories,  and  so 
deserve  any  punishment  the  fates  might  send  you, 
still  I'd  be  glad,  because  of  your  comely  looks,  to 
see  3'^ou  escape  your  deserts.  But  here  we  are  at 
my  gate.  I  \yonder  what  the  town  will  sa}^  Josce- 
lyn,  when  they  hear  that  you,  Tory  that  you  call 
yourself,  brought  a  basket  of  w^ool  for  Continen- 
tal socks  from  Amanda  Bryce's  to  my  door." 

The  sirl's  face  flamed  with  a  sudden  heat.  Then 
she  said  with  that  beautiful  courtesy  that  older 
folks  found  so  charming:  — 

"  It  was  not  for  the  Continentals,  but  for  my 
good  neighbour  that  I  brought  the  basket.  I  am 
not  minded  to  see  her  kill  herself  in  so  bad  a 
cause ;  rather  do  I  want  her  to  live  and  repent  of 
her  mistakes,  that  she  herself  may  not  be  the  first 
to  solve  that  riddle  of  the  devil's  wooing."  And 
kissing  their  hands  jauntily  to  the  old  woman,  the 
two  girls  rode  away  into  the  purple  twilight. 

"Bless  her  bonny  face  and  quick  tongue!"  the 
old  woman  cried,  waving  her  hand  after  them. 

That  night  Mary  cried  herself  to  sleep  over  her 
shattered  hopes,  and  in  the  privacy  of  a  w^hite-cur- 
tained  room,  Joscelyn  read  aloud  the  letter  to  her 
Avhora  Eustace  had  in  mind  when  he  thought  of 
the  welcome  of  shy  eyes  and  clinging  white 
hands.  And  Betty  fell  asleep  with  the  letter 
under  her  cheek,  and  all  the  soft  June  night  was 
filled  with  flitting  cadences  and  starry  dreams. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

ON    MONMOUTH    PLAIN. 

"  Wut's  words  to  them  whose  faith  and  truth 
On  war's  red  techstone  rang  true  metal ; 
Who  ventured  life  and  love  and  youth 
For  the  great  prize  o'  death  in  battle  ?  " 

—  Lowell. 

A  ND  it  was  June-time,  too,  in  the  far-off  'New 
■^-^  Jersey  country  across  which  an  army,  glit- 
tering with  scarlet  and  steel,  took  its  way.  Slowly 
it  moved ;  for  with  it  went  a  wagon-train  convey- 
ing many  of  the  refugees  from  the  evacuated  city 
of  Philadelphia,  people  who  could  not  crowd  into 
the  transports  that  went  by  sea,  but  who  feared 
to  meet  the  incoming  Americans  and  so  sought 
safety  in  New  York.  Children  and  delicately 
reared  women  slept  in  army  tents,  or  sat  in  their 
coaches  all  day,  listening  to  the  crunching  of  the 
wheels  in  the  sand  and  looking  back  through  the 
slowly  increasing  distance  to  the  horizon,  behind 
which  lay  the  deserted  city  where  pleasure  had 
held  high  carnival  during  the  months  just  passed. 
And  with  them  they  carried  everything  that  could 
be  packed  into  coach  or  hidden  in  wagon;  and 
though  they  went  with  the  semblance  of  victory 
and  almost  of  pleasure-seekers,  it  was  a  sad  pro- 

73 


74  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

cession ;  for  who  could  say  when  or  upon  what 
terms  they  might  ever  see  their  old  homes  again  ? 
Often  Clinton  looked  back  impatiently  at  the 
crawling  train,  for  he  had  not  liked  to  be  so 
hampered,  and  yet  had  been  quite  as  unwilling 
to  abandon  these  people  to  the  vengeance  they 
imagined  awaited  them. 

Almost  before  they  had  lost  sight  of  the  spires 
of  the  city,  Arnold,  with  braying  bugles,  marched 
his  column  down  the  echoing  streets,  and  set  up 
the  standard  of  the  republic  where  late  the  Brit- 
ish lion  had  wooed  the  wind. 

For  nearly  a  week  that  long  train  crept  on  its 
way,  held  back  by  its  own  cumbersome  weight 
and  the  varying  roughness  of  the  route.  And 
ever  on  its  flank  hung  the  lean  but  resolute  army 
of  the  Continentals,  waiting  and  longing  for  a 
chance  to  strike.  All  the  suffering  of  Valley 
Forge  was  to  be  avenged.  Every  wrong  they 
had  sustained  was  whispering  at  their  ears  and 
tugging  at  their  memories;  every  dead  comrade 
seemed  calling  out  to  them  for  retribution  through 
the  sunshine  or  the  midnight  silence.  And  it 
should  be  theirs ;  the  utmost  atonement  that 
arms,  nerved  with  patriotic  and  personal  ven- 
geance, could  achieve  should  be  claimed  —  if 
only  the  hour  would  come.  But  still  that  long 
train  moved  onward,  and  there  came  no  word  to 
fight. 

Then,  from  out  the  blue  sky-reaches  of  that 
June-time  dawned  Monmouth  day. 


ON   MONMOUTH    PLAIN.  75 

«  We  are  to  fight  at  last ! " 

And  every  man  in  that  thin,  dishevelled  line 
felt  his  heart  throb  with  the  exultation  of  action 
long  desired  and  long  delayed.  Every  man  but 
one,  and  he  the  one  on  whom  rested  the  responsi- 
bility of  the  attack. 

"Anybody  but  Lee!"  Dunn  had  said  with  a 
groan,  when  he  heard  who  was  to  lead  the  attack- 
ing column.  And  Eichard,  having  gone  with  him 
to  report  some  scouting  work  to  the  council  of 
officers,  and  recalling  Lee's  fierce  opposition  to 
any  plan  for  battle,  groaned  too. 

"  His  envy  of  General  Washington  and  his  im- 
prisonment among  the  British  have  made  him  half 
Tory.  He  is  the  senior  officer,  it  is  true,  —  but  if 
he  had  only  persisted  in  his  first  refusal  to  lead 
the  division  and  left  it  to  La  Fayette !  " 

But  in  Richard's  thoughts  there  was  no  time 
for  doubt  when,  in  the  brilliant  light  of  the  next 
morning,  he  swept  with  his  column  over  the  brow 
of  the  low  hill  and  on  down  the  narrow  valley 
toward  the  scarlet  line  that  marked  Clinton's  post. 
It  was  his  first  real  battle ;  for  compared  with  this 
the  engagements  under  Sumter  had  been  but  skir- 
mishes, and  the  frenzy  of  the  fight  was  upon  him. 
"  For  home  and  Joscelyn !  "  had  been  the  war-cry 
he  had  set  himself,  thinking  to  carry  into  the  hot- 
test of  every  fray  the  memory-presence  of  the  girl 
whom  he  loved.  But  when  the  test  came  she  was 
forgotten,  and  only  the  menace  ahead,  the  death 
he  was  rushing  to  meet,  was  remembered.     Every 


76  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

musket  along  that  steadfast  scarlet  line  seemed 
levelled  at  him  alone,  and  into  his  heart  there 
flashed  a  momentary  wish  to  turn  and  seek  shel- 
ter in  flight  from  the  leaping  fire  of  the  deadly 
muzzles.  But  in  the  quick  onset,  the  shouts,  the 
growl  of  the  guns,  and  the  challenging  call  of 
the  bugles,  this  fear  was  conquered ;  and  in  its 
place  a  wild,  unreasoning  delirium  seized  upon 
him,  and  the  one  thought  of  which  he  was  con- 
scious was  to  kill,  kill,  kill ! 

To  those  blue-clad  men,  burning  with  the  mem- 
ory of  their  sufferings  and  their  wrongs,  it  seemed 
as  if  nothing  could  stand  before  them ;  but  Brit- 
ish regulars  were  trained  to  meet  such  an  advance, 
and  the  red  line  was  as  a  wall  of  adamant.  Be- 
tween the  attack  and  the  repulse  there  seemed  to 
Richard  scarcely  breathing-time ;  for  they  were 
repulsed,  and,  fighting  still,  were  driven  back 
through  that  narrow  defile,  expecting  every  mo- 
ment that  Lee  would  send  them  succour  so  that 
they  might  again  take  up  the  offensive.  But  in- 
stead of  reenforcements,  there  came  that  strange 
order  to  retreat.  Retreat?  Had  there  not  been 
some  mistake  ?  The  officers  looked  at  each  other 
incredulously,  suspiciously,  half-inclined  to  diso- 
bey ;  for  the  battle  was  hardly  yet  begun,  and 
this  first  check  was  not  a  rout.  Then  full  of  rage 
and  doubt  they  repeated  to  their  subordinates 
the  orders  of  the  couriers,  and  the  regiment  fell 
back  sullenly,  clashing  against  other  regiments 
who  had  not  struck  a  blow,  but  to  whom  had  also 


ON   MONIVIOUTH    PLAIN.  77 

come  that  mysterious  order  to  fall  back.  What 
was  the  matter,  what  was  this  paralyzing  hand 
that  had  been  laid  upon  them !  Xo  one  could 
tell ;  but  men  retreated  looking  longingly  over 
their  shoulders  at  the  enera3\  Confusion  grew 
almost  into  panic  as  those  still  further  away  saw 
the  retiring  columns  pursued  by  the  Redcoats,  and 
knew  not  the  cause  nor  yet  what  dir6  disaster  had 
befallen. 

Then  suddenly  upon  the  field  there  came  the 
Achilles  of  the  cause,  and  the  rout  was  turned. 

"  The  general  —  thank  God  !  "  the  officers 
sobbed  ;  and  the  men  cheered  as  those  who  are 
drowning  cheer  a  saving  sail. 

Richard  was  too  far  off  to  hear  the  fierce  protest 
and  rebuke  heaped  upon  Lee,  but  in  a  few  minutes 
an  aide  galloped  up  to  his  regiment  and  cried  out 
to  Wayne :  — 

"  General  Washington  saj^s  you  and  Ramsey  are 
to  hold  the  enemy  in  check  here  upon  this  hillside 
until  he  can  re-form  the  rear." 

And  the  blue  line  swung  about  and  steadied, 
and  met  the  English  face  to  face ;  and  Richard 
Clevering's  battle-cry  rang  full  and  clear  amid  the 
yells  that  vrell-nigh  drowned  the  roar  of  the  mus- 
ketry. About  that  sun-scorched  knoll  there  fell 
the  fiercest  part  of  the  fray.  The  palsy  of  hesita- 
tion was  gone,  and  desperation  had  made  the  men 
invincible.  Ag'ain  and  again  that  red  wave  from 
the  open  space  before  surged  against  them,  broke 
and   recoiled   and  gathered  and  came  again   like 


78  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

some  strong  billow  of  the  ocean  that  rolls  itselt 
against  a  headland  —  fierce,  blind,  futile. 

Then  came  the  climax  of  the  splendid  tragedy. 
Upon  "Wayne's  right  was  a  Continental  battery 
from  which  a  great  gun  sent  its  deadly  challenge 
to  the  foe.  Again  and  again  its  whirring  missives 
tore  great  gaps  in  the  red  ranks,  until  Clinton  gave 
orders  to  silence  it  at  any  cost. 

Careless  of  danger,  unconscious  of  his  impend- 
ing doom,  the  gunner  loaded  his  piece  anew,  and 
lifted  the  rammer  to  send  the  charge  home.  Be- 
hind him  stood  his  wife,  who  had  left  the  safety 
of  the  wagons  to  bring  him  water  from  a  wayside 
ravine,  for  the  sky  was  like  copper  and  the  dust 
blew  in  suffocating  gusts.  She  saw  what  he  did 
not,  the  shifting  of  the  enemy's  gun  in  the  plain 
below,  the  turning  of  its  deadly  muzzle  full  upon 
the  knoll  where  they  stood.  But  there  was  no 
time  for  so  much  as  a  warning  cry  ;  for  instantly 
the  flame  leaped  out,  the  ground  shook  with  a 
strong  reverberation,  and  a  groan  went  up  from 
the  Continentals  as  they  saw  the  dust  fly  from  the 
knoll  and  their  own  brave  gunner  throw  up  his 
arms,  swing  sidewise,  and  then  fall  dead.  For  one 
awful  moment  no  one  moved;  then  two  men  from 
the  line  sprang  forward  to  take  his  place,  but  some 
one  was  before  them  —  some  one  with  the  face  of 
an  avenging  Kemesis.  There  was  the  flutter  of  a 
skirt,  a  woman's  long  black  hair  streamed  back- 
ward on  the  wind,  and  Moll  Pitcher  stood  in  her 
husband's   place   like   an   aroused   lioness   of  the 


ON    MONMOUTH    PLAIN.  79 

jungle.  Furj  gave  her  the  strength  of  a  Boadi- 
cea,  and  the  rammer,  still  warm  from  the  dead 
man's  grasp,  went  home  with  a  single  thrust ;  the 
flame  flashed  over  the  pan,  and  with  a  roar  that 
shook  the  heavens,  the  big  gun  sent  back  into 
the  red  ranks  the  death  it  had  witnessed.  When 
the  smoke  had  lifted,  the  breathless  men  saw  the 
woman,  one  hand  still  upon  the  great  black  gun, 
stoop  down  and  kiss  the  dead  husband  she  had 
avenged ;  and  all  down  the  Continental  line  eyes 
Avere  wet  and  throats  were  cracked  and  dry  with 
cheering. 

All  the  rest  of  that  fateful  day,  with  the  eyes 
of  her  dead  love  watching  her  staringly,  Moll 
Pitcher  held  her  place  beside  the  gun,  solacing 
her  breaking  heart  with  its  flash  and  roar,  hold- 
ing back  her  woman's  briny  tears  until  the  silent 
vigils  of  the  night,  when  her  mission  was  accom- 
plished. 

And  in  the  meantime,  in  the  rear,  the  voice  of 
a  single  man,  with  its  trumpet  tones  of  inspiration, 
was  bringing  order  out  of  chaos.  Regiments  were 
re-formed,  scattered  companies  gathered,  batteries 
turned,  and  defeat  robbed  of  its  surety.  Men,  who 
a  moment  before  had  been  panic-stricken  with  the 
confused  marching  and  counter-marching  of  the 
day,  looked  into  the  face  of  the  commander  and 
felt  their  hearts  beat  with  an  answering  calm. 
Confidence  was  restored,  and  the  routed  corps 
were  turned  into  attacking  columns.  And  so 
when  that  red  wave  broke  for  the  last  time  against 


80  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

Wayne's  and  Ramsey's  divisions  on  the  hillside, 
reenforcements  were  close  at  hand. 

But  they  came  too  late  for  some  of  the  brave 
men  who  had  saved  liberty  and  honour  that  day, 
for  the  red  wave,  receding,  took  as  its  flotsam  all 
the  men  in  buff  and  blue  who,  in  their  enthusiasm 
and  temerity,  had  advanced  too  far  beyond  the 
ranks. 

And  among  these  prisoners  went  he  whose  bat- 
tle-cry had  been,  "  For  home  and  Joscelyn  ! " 


"  Richard  was  dragged  along  with  the  British  until  their 
position  was  regained." 


CHAPTER  X. 


IN  Clinton's  tents. 


"  Give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death." 

—  Patrick  Henry. 

TTATLESS,  furious,  half-blind  from  dust  and 
-■— *-  the  trickling  of  the  blood  from  the  wound  in 
the  head  that  had  dazed  and  rendered  him  power- 
less to  escape  back  to  his  own  ranks  after  meeting 
the  enemy,  Richard  was  dragged  along  with  the 
British  until  their  position  was  regained,  and 
thence  despatched  to  the  rear,  where  the  other 
prisoners  were  held  under  guard.  There  he  lay 
on  the  ground  for  an  hour,  listening  and  longing 
feverishly  for  the  sound  of  Washington's  assault- 
ing guns ;  but  the  twilight  deepened  into  starlit 
dusk,  and  no  rescue  came.  Then  finally  he  knew 
by  the  preparations  about  him  that  no  further 
attack  was  expected,  but  that  a  retreat  was  in- 
tended. Clinton  dared  not  await  the  return  of 
daylight  and  the  fight  it  would  bring ;  and  so  in 
the  still  hours  of  the  night,  while  the  Continen- 
tals slept  the  sleep  of  utter  exhaustion  after  the 
marches  and  counter-marches  and  combats  of  that 
sultry  day,  he  drew  his  force  away,  leaving  his 
dead   unburied    upon   the    field,   and    his  sorely 

81 


82  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

wounded  in  the  deserted  camp.  To  the  very 
last  moment,  Eichard  had  listened  for  an  attack, 
hoping  that  Washington  had  waited  to  plan  a 
surprise ;  but  over  in  the  direction  of  the  Ameri- 
can camp  all  was  silent.  During  the  last  half  of 
that  awful  night  Eichard  marched  with  the  squad 
of  prisoners  along  the  road  that  led  to  the  sea. 
The  wound  in  his  head,  although  but  slight,  made 
him  dizzy  with  its  throbbing,  and  his  heart  called 
out  fiercely  for  freedom  and  Joscelyn.  He  had 
asked  not  to  be  put  into  the  wagon  with  tho 
Avounded,  protesting  he  was  more  able  to  walk 
than  som.e  others ;  but  in  reality  he  was  meditat- 
ing an  escape,  and  knew  it  would  be  more  easily 
accomplished  from  the  ranks  than  from  a  guarded 
wagon.  Eagerly  he  watched  for  a  chance.  The 
bonds  that  at  first  held  the  prisoners  together  had 
been  removed  to  expedite  the  retreat,  —  there  was 
no  time  that  night  to  spare  for  any  kind  of  lag- 
ging,—  so  that  he  was  free  to  go  alone  if  the 
opportunity  came.  Always  his  gaze  was  ahead, 
every  shadow  across  the  road  held  a  possibility, 
every  dark  hollow  was  entered  with  hope.  But 
the  guard,  as  though  divining  his  intention,  closed 
in  compactly  at  these  points  and  made  egress 
impossible ;  and  so  he  plodded  on  until,  with  the 
returning  daylight,  the}^  found  him  reeling  like 
a  drunken  man  with  fatigue  and  loss  of  blood, 
and,  putting  him  into  an  ambulance,  carried  him 
on  toward  Sandy  Hook.  From  utter  weariness 
and  hopelessness   he   fell   asleep   in   the    jolting 


IN  Clinton's  tents.  83 

vehicle,  and  only  waked  at  the  prod  of  a  bayonet 
to  find  the  sun  well  past  the  zenith. 

"  Get  up  with  you  and  let  somebody  take  your 
place  while  you  foot  it  a  bit,"  a  rough  voice  said ; 
and  Richard  sprang  from  the  vehicle  and  helped 
little  Billy  Bryce,  of  his  own  town,  into  his  place, 
exclaiming  vehemently  against  his  own  selfish 
slumbering. 

"  Nay,  nay,"  said  the  lad,  "  I  am  not  wounded, 
more's  the  shame  to  me  for  being  taken  !  Besides, 
I  have  had  a  long  rest  under  the  wagon  here,  for 
we  halted  before  noon.  I  begged  the  guard  not 
to  waken  you,  but  I  put  your  rations  aside.  Here 
—  you  must  be  near  to  starvation." 

Richard  caught  eagerly  at  the  pork  and  ship 
biscuit  which  the  lad  held  out ;  it  seemed  ages 
since  he  had  tasted  food. 

"  And  you'll  be  better  with  your  head  washed," 
the  guard  said,  not  unkindly,  pointing  to  a  little 
stream  that  trickled  by  the  roadside;  and  Richard 
was  quick  to  obey. 

In  a  little  while  they  were  in  motion  again,  this 
time  more  leisurely,  and  once  more  thoughts  of 
escape  filled  Richard  with  a  restless  energy.  The 
country  was  more  broken  here ;  to  hide  would  be 
easier,  and  he  waited  impatiently  for  the  coming 
of  the  dark,  determined  at  all  hazards  to  make 
the  attempt  —  another  sunset  might  put  him  be- 
hind prison  bars.  But  he  was  doomed  to  dis- 
appointment, for  they  were  not  to  march  all 
night,  but  with  the  early  stars  pitched  their  tents 


84  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

upon  a  flat  stretch  of  country  that  opened  to  the 
east. 

Worn  out  by  the  long  marches  and  the  cloying 
sand  through  which  they  had  toiled,  the  army 
soon  slept  profoundly.  Tied  together  for  greater 
security,  the  prisoners  lay  like  so  many  sardines 
in  their  tent,  before  which  trod  a  sentinel.  At 
first  there  was  much  whispering  among  them  as 
to  their  probable  fate,  and  not  a  few  solemn  fare- 
wells to  home  and  dear  ones,  with  now  and  then 
a  happy  reminiscence  such  as  often  comes  with 
the  acme  of  irony  to  doomed  men.  One  recalled 
his  courting  daj'^s,  another  the  swimming  pool 
under  the  willows  ;  and  yet  another  his  baby's 
laugh.  And  set  lips  relaxed  into  smiling  until 
suddenly  the  memory  stabbed  with  a  new  pain. 

"  I  shall  never  see  my  mother  any  more,  for  I 
know  I  shall  die  in  that  dreadful  prison ;  but 
you'll  be  good  to  me,  won't  you,  Richard  ? " 
groaned  little  Billy  Bryce,  who  lay  next  to 
Richard  with  his  right  hand  tied  to  the  latter's 
left. 

And  Richard  comforted  him  as  best  he  could, 
and  by  and  by  the  lad  slept  with  the  others. 

"  I  hope  they  will  always  let  me  stay  with 
you,"  had  been  his  last  sleepy  whisper.  For 
among  the  bigger  hoys  Richard  had  been  his 
hero  and  protector,  and  no  service  was  ever  too 
great  for  him  to  undertake  for  his  idol.  And 
Richard  had  petted  and  yet  imposed  upon  him 
in  the  way  peculiar  to  all  boys  of  a  larger  growth, 


IN  Clinton's  tents.  85 

when  a  small  one  asks  nothing  better  than  to 
obey.  It  was  really  to  be  with  Eichard  as  much 
as  to  share  in  the  war  that  he  had  stolen  away 
from  his  mother  and  followed  the  Hillsboro'  men 
to  the  field. 

At  last  the  tent  was  quiet  save  for  the  deep 
breathing  of  the  tired  men,  but  Eichard  could 
not  close  his  eyes ;  he  meant  to  get  away.  After 
the  watch  was  changed  toward  midnight  was 
the  time  he  had  set  as  the  most  favourable  for  his 
plan.  All  being  then  found  secure,  the  new  guard 
would  be  over-sure  —  and  he,  like  the  rest,  was 
worn  out  with  the  trials  of  the  past  two  days. 
Certainly  that  was  the  best  time;  a  confident, 
tired  sentinel  ought  not  to  be  hard  to  elude.  And 
he  lay  still,  softly  gnawing  the  rope  that  bound 
him  to  Billy.  As  he  was  at  the  end  of  the 
line,  his  right  arm  was  free,  and  so  his  fingers 
aided  his  teeth  to  pick  the  threads  apart.  Thus 
an  hour  went  by,  and  then  the  lad  beside  him 
stirred. 

"  What  are  you  doing,  Eichard  ? "  he  whispered ; 
then  added  quickly,  as  his  arm  felt  the  loosened 
cord :  "  Why,  you  have  bitten  the  rope  in  two. 
You  are  going  to  escape?  Take  me  with  you, 
in  mercy's  name,  Eichard ;  do  not  leave  me  to 
die  in  the  prison  yonder!  Eichard,  let  me  go, 
too." 

"  H  —  sh ! "  whispered  Eichard,  sternly,  for  the 
boy's  excitement  was  like  to  arouse  the  whole 
body  of  prisoners,  perchance  even  alarm  the  guard 


86  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

outside.     "  Be  still,  Billy  !     I  cannot  take  you  — 

two  could  never  pass  the  guard.    I  am  sorry  ;  I 

I  —  wish  you  had  not  waked." 

But  the  lad,  whose  arm  was  now  free  because 
of  the  final  severance  of  the  cord,  caught  his  hand 
as  with  a  drowning  grip :    "  You  must  take  me  — 
you  must !  " 
"  I  cannot." 

"  Oh,  I  will  not  go  on  to  rot  in  that  vile  prison  ; 
I  am  so  young,  and  my  mother  has  nobody  but  me  ! 
Don't  you  know  how  I  have  always  loved  you, 
Kichard  ?  You  never  asked  me  to  do  any- 
thing that  I  was  not  ready  to  try  it.  I'd  never 
leave  you  here  if  I  were  going  to  freedom  — 
never! " 

To  take  him,  lessened  his  chances  more  than 
half,  and  Heaven  knew  how  slender  they  were 
already  ;  but  the  struggle  in  Eichard's  mind  lasted 
only  a  moment.  Then  he  leaned  over  the  boy's 
body  and  began  carefully  and  quietly  to  untie 
the  cord  that  bound  him  to  the  next  sleeper, 
stopping  now  and  then  when  the  man  made  any 
movement.  The  lad,  guessing  his  consent  by 
his  action,  spoke  no  word,  but  lifted  his  head 
and  kissed  him  on  the  cheek;  and  Eichard  felt 
the  tears  that  coursed  down  the  smooth  face. 

"  You  confounded  3"0ung  idiot ! "  he  whispered, 
but  his  voice  was  very  tender,  and  presently,  when 
the  knot  was  loosed,  he  drew  the  lad  close  to  him 
and  told  his  plan. 

"God  grant   we  may   both   of  us  get  safely 


IN  Clinton's  tents.  87 

away ;  but  if  only  one  of  us  succeeds,  and  that 
should  be  I,  then  will  I  carry  your  love  to  your 
mother." 

"  And  if  I  escape,  I  shall  do  the  like  for  you." 

"  Ay,  laddie,  and  more  ;  for  you  shall  say  to 
Joscelyn  Cheshire  that  even  behind  prison  bars 
I  am  her  lover ;  and  if  death  comes,  her  face,  or 
the  blessed  memory  of  it,  will  outshine  those  of 
the  angels  of  Paradise." 

"  You  love  her  so,  then  ? " 

"As  a  man  loves  sunshine  and  warmth  and 
beauty  and  life." 

"  And  she  loves  you  ? " 

"  'No,  lad,  she  loves  me  not." 

And  the  boy  left  the  silence  that  followed  un- 
broken, knowing  the  other  wished  it  so. 

A  while  later  they  heard  the  call  of  the  watch 
farther  down  the  beat,  and  presently  the  sound 
of  steps  outside  and  the  welcome  "  All's  well ! " 
of  the  relieved  sentry.  Turning  upon  their  backs 
with  the  ravelled  ends  of  the  cords  hidden  close 
between  them,  they  seemed  asleep  like  their  com- 
rades when  the  watchman  cast  the  light  of  his 
lantern  through  the  flapping  canvas  door. 

"  Too  d — n  tired  to  give  any  trouble,"  the  out- 
going sentinel  said  as  he  glanced  along  the  line. 
"  You  will  have  an  easy  time  to-night."  Then  he 
went  away,  and  the  two  watchers  in  the  tent 
waited  for  what  seemed  an  eternity.  Finally 
Eichard  lifted  the  edge  of  the  tent  and  looked 
out.     The  sentinel  leaned  against  a  small  tree  in 


88  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

front  of  the  tent,  his  gun  held  slack  in  his  jBngers. 
He  was  very  tired,  even  to  drowsiness. 

"  Now,"  Richard  whispered,  and  crawled  stealth- 
ily from  under  the  rear  of  the  tent,  followed  by 
Billy.  Keeping  in  the  shadow  of  the  tents,  they 
moved  on  hands  and  knees  across  the  ground 
toward  a  clump  of  bushes  that  promised  a  hiding- 
place  for  reconnoitring.  Only  twenty  yards  the 
stretch  was,  but  to  those  two  crawling  figures 
it  seemed  a  mile.  Every  weed  that  swayed 
against  its  fellow  had  in  it  the  sound  of  a  rushing 
wind,  and  every  twig  that  broke  under  hands  or 
knees  seemed  like  the  crack  of  a  rifle.  To  their 
overwrought  senses  each  breath  the  other  drew  was 
as  the  sough  of  a  tempest,  and  they  scarcely  under- 
stood how  the  sentry  could  not  hear.  So  slowly 
they  had  to  move  that  it  took  fully  twenty  minutes 
to  cover  those  few  yards.  Then,  while  Billy  lay 
still  in  the  shadow,  Richard  raised  himself  stealthily 
and  looked  about.  They  could  have  happened  upon 
no  worse  place  for  their  attempt.  It  was  near  the 
end  of  a  short  beat  up  and  down  which  two  senti- 
nels trod,  passing  each  other  near  this  end,  so  that 
only  a  few  moments  intervened  when  one  or  the 
other  did  not  command  the  whole  beat  with  his 
eye  and  gun.  Behind  and  on  either  side  stretched 
the  tents  of  the  sleeping  army,  set  thick  with 
picket  posts  and  guards.  On  the  other  side  of 
the  narrow  road  was  a  rock  large  enough  to 
conceal  a  man,  and  beyond  this  was  a  field  of 
high  grass,  to  gain  which  meant  freedom.     Not 


IN  Clinton's  tents.  89 

a  detail  of  the  starlit  scene  escaped  Richard.  To 
go  backward  or  to  the  right  or  left  was  to  fall 
into  repeated  dangers;  this  was  the  way  since 
they  were  here.  If  only  the  sentries  passed 
each  other  in  the  middle  of  the  beat,  that  there 
might  be  more  time  when  this  crossing  in  front 
of  them  would  be  a  little  longer  unguarded  ! 

He  stood  irresolute,  trying  to  think  accurately  ; 
but  a  noise  behind  left  him  no  time  for  further 
hesitation.  Something  was  amiss  yonder  in  the 
rear,  —  perhaps  their  flight  had  been  discovered. 
Billy,  too,  had  heard,  and  rising,  stood  close  be- 
hind ;  softly  he  put  out  his  hand  and  drew  the  lad 
before  him.  One  agile  spring  across  the  road,  a 
moment's  hiding  in  the  shadow  of  the  rock 
yonder,  then  the  tall  grass  and  liberty ;  but  be- 
tween the  passing  of  the  sentinels  was  time  for 
only  one  man  to  cross  to  safety  —  only  one  man 
could  hide  yonder  behind  that  rock!  The  little 
lad  saw  it,  and  his  lips  twitched. 

"  Good-by,"  he  whispered,  trying  to  move  back. 

But  Eichard  held  him  fast.  In  his  hands  was 
not  the  semblance  of  a  tremor,  but  his  face  was 
ashen  even  in  the  dim  light. 

"Remember  Joscelyn,"  he  breathed,  rather  than 
spoke ;  then,  as  the  guard  passed,  he  gave  the  lad 
a  push.     "  Go." 

With  a  stealthy,  gliding  step  Billy  was  across 
the  road  and  behind  the  rock  as  Richard  dropped 
to  the  ground  and  the  guard  turned  round.  Evi- 
dently the  man's  trained  ear  had  detected  some 


90  JOSCELYN    CHESHIEE. 

sound,  for  he  paused  and  brought  his  gun  to  his 
shoulder.  Richard's  eyes  were  on  the  rock  over 
the  road  ;  if  Billy  moved  now,  they  were  both  lost ; 
but  all  was  still,  and  the  guard  once  more  took  up 
his  march.  When  he  was  gone  a  few  paces 
Richard  saw  a  dark  object  crawl  from  the  shadow 
of  the  rock,  and  a  moment  later  the  tall  grass 
shook  as  if  a  gentle  zephyr  had  smitten  it  in 
just  one  favoured  spot;  then  all  was  silent  and 
moveless  save  the  crickets  and  the  night  birds  flap- 
ping past  in  the  gloom. 

Billy  had  left  the  way  clear,  and  when  the  next 
sentinel  should  be  at  the  right  place  Eichard 
meant  to  follow,  and  so  he  drew  a  deep  breath 
and  waited.  But  fortune  was  against  him,  for 
before  the  man  was  quite  opposite  to  him  another 
guard  came  out  into  the  road  from  the  camp 
behind  and  accosted  him.  As  they  approached, 
Kichard  heard  in  part  w^hat  they  said  :  — 

"  —  couriers  just  arrived  —  enemy  moving  on 
the  Brunswick  road,  supposed  intention  to  out- 
flank us.  All  outside  pickets  are  being  doubled 
to  prevent  desertion,  and  I  am  sent  to  mount 
guard  here  at  the  end  of  your  beat.  Two  Hes- 
sians were  caught  in  the  act  of  deserting  just 
now." 

"I  heard  some  kind  of  commotion." 

"  Yes ;  'twill  go  pretty  hard  with  them  to-mor- 
row. "When  we  first  took  them  we  thought  they 
were  a  couple  of  those  prisoners  w^ho  were  trying 
to  escape,  and  the  air  fairly  smelt  of  the  brimstone 


IN  Clinton's  tents.  91 

we  were  ready  to  give  them.  The  light  came 
just  in  time  to  save  them.  Those  Hessians  are 
a  d — d  set  of  hirelings." 

He  stooped  to  adjust  his  shoe-latchet,  and  when 
the  regular  guard  passed  on  to  the  end  of  his  beat 
Richard  dropped  down  quickly,  but  with  an  inward 
£-roan,  for  with  that  man  stationed  there  at  the 
end  of  the  track  escape  was  impossible.  There 
had  been  but  one  chance,  just  one,  and  he  had 
given  that  away.  He  would  not  regret  it,  but  — 
he  should  never  see  Joscelyn  again.  It  was  all  he 
could  do  to  keep  back  the  fierce  cry  that  gathered 
in  his  throat.  For  a  long  time  he  crouched  there, 
hoping  in  the  face  of  despair ;  but  the  dawn  was 
coming  —  if  he  was  found  thus,  his  punishment 
would  be  made  the  greater.  There  was  no  use  in 
courting  torture.  And  so,  when  a  passing  cloud 
obscured  the  stars,  he  crawled  back  across  the  clear- 
ing, and  crept  at  last  under  the  edge  of  the  tent. 

"  Here,  Peter,"  he  whispered  in  the  ear  of  the 
next  man,  "  Billy  has  escaped.  I  failed  ;  but  'ti? 
no  use  to  tempt  the  devil  to  double  my  stripes.- 
Wake  up  and  tie  this  cord  about  my  left  arm  that 
it  may  seem  as  if  he  gnawed  it  himself  until  it  was 
loose. 

And  in  the  morning  the  guard  found  him  asleep 
with  a  bit  of  ravelled  rope  about  his  arm.  Search 
and  inquiry  failed  to  reveal  anything  of  Billy's 
escape  or  his  whereabouts,  and  the  incident,  so  far 
as  the  prisoners  were  concerned,  ended  in  the  vol- 
ley of  oaths  and  threats  delivered  to  them  second- 


92  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

hand  by  the  guards  from  the  oflBcer  of  the  day. 
They  were  not  pleasant  words  to  hear;  but 
Kichard  only  drew  a  deep  breath,  for  he  had 
feared  Billy  would  linger  waiting  for  him  and  so 
be  taken. 


CHAPTER  XL 


FROM    CAMP    TO    PRISON. 


*♦  My  day  is  closed  !  the  gloom  of  night  is  come 
A  hopeless  darkness  settles  o'er  my  fate.'- 

—  Joanna  Baillib. 

MANY  times  during  the  day's  march  did 
Richard  turn  his  eyes  wistfully  toward  the 
blue  hills  to  the  south,  and  wonder  beyond  which 
of  them  Billy  was  speeding  to  rejoin  his  com- 
mand. The  thought  had  in  it  such  an  element  of 
bitterness  that  finally  he  thrust  it  from  him  lest  it 
wax  into  selfish  envy. 

Finally  they  reached  their  goal,  and  the  vast 
body  of  men  and  animals  halted  beside  the  bay 
whose  waters  sparkled  under  the  blue  and  gold 
tones  of  the  summer  sky.  In  the  ofiing  la}'^  the 
English  fleet,  which  by  the  happiest  chance  for 
Clinton  had  arrived  inside  the  Hook  in  time  to 
convey  his  exhausted  army  to  New  York. 

The  quick,  salt  wind  whipping  Richard  in  the 
face,  gave  him  a  sense  of  vigour  and  reserve 
strength,  which  was  speedily  nipped  by  a  chilling 
realization  of  his  hopeless  captivity.  Mechani- 
cally he  ate  and  drank  when  the  guard  bade  him ; 
for  the  prison  bars  were  now  inevitable,  and  he 
would   lie   rusting  his    heart  and    manhood    out 

93 


94  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

while  the  fight  went  by  outside.  In  an  agony  of 
despair  he  cursed  the  impetuous  daring  that  had 
led  him  so  far  in  advance  of  his  column  as  to 
deliver  him  into  the  hands  of  the  enem}^  And 
he  cursed  both  the  moonlight  that  had  flooded 
the  road  the  first  night  of  their  march,  and  the 
guard  whose  lynx  eyes  seemed  ever  upon  him ; 
and  finally  he  cursed  himself  more  sorely  than 
aught  else,  because  he  had  not  followed  Billy 
at  all  hazards  and  let  a  bullet  end  the  problem 
forever. 

But  life  is  sweet  to  j^outh,  and  hope  finds  ever 
a  place  in  the  heart  that  is  full  of  an  unsatisfied 
love;  and  so  by  the  time  he  had  finished  his 
spare  meal  he  was  ready  to  look  at  the  future 
\vith  more  calmness.  Outside  in  the  free  world 
<roscelyn  would  wait  for  him,  and  prison  doors 
must  sometimes  yawn.  The  soldier  who  brought 
liim  his  supper  stayed  for  a  few  minutes  to  talk. 
]B.e  had  a  frank,  friendly  face  that  Kichard  liked. 

"  So  we  gave  your  sly  general  the  slip  after  all, 
and  held  to  our  march  as  we  at  first  intended." 

"  Did  Clinton  originally  and  intentionally  pro- 
pose to  make  a  night  march  at  almost  double- 
quick  over  such  roads  as  we  have  traversed? 
D — d  queer  military  tactics." 

The  fellow  grinned.  "  Oh,  a  little  change  of 
programme  mattered  not,  so  we  lost  not  a  single 
wagon  of  our  train.  See,  they  are  yonder,  as  safe 
as  a  ship  in  port." 

"  Mayhap  ;  but  you  saved  your  skins  whole  by 


FROM    CAilP   TO    PRISON.  95 

stealing  away  from  Monmouth  like  a  thief  in  the 
night,  and,  leaving  the  foe  you  pretended  to 
despise,  camped  on  the  hattle-ground." 

"  Oh,  we  begrudge  not  you  fellows  a  camping 
ground  —  we  are  not  that  greedy." 

"  iSo  ;  you  Avanted  them,  in  fact,  to  have  all  the 
ground  in  the  vicinity,  even  if  you  had  to  be  so 
unselfish  as  to  march  all  night  to  leave  it  to  them." 

"  Come,  your  tongue's  too  sharp,"  the  fellow 
said  irritably. 

"  Sharper  than  your  general's  wits,  if  he  took 
that  march  out  of  anything  but  necessity.  He 
has  saved  his  baggage  train,  but,  mark  you,  he 
has  lost  his  cause.  Our  victory  at  Monmouth  will 
hearten  up  the  doubtful  and  send  them  flocking 
to  our  camp." 

The  man  laughed  satirically  at  the  word  "  vic- 
tory," and  then  said :  — 

"  "Well,  at  all  events,  your  part  of  the  flocking 
is  done  for  good.  'Tis  not  likely  you'll  see  the 
outside  of  a  prison  for  more  months  than  you  are 
years  old  —  if  by  any  chance  your  general  hangs 
on  that  long,  which  is  not  likely." 

Eichard  shivered  at  mention  of  a  prison,  but 
shrugged  his  shoulders  with  outward  calm.  "  A 
man  must  bear  the  fortunes  of  "war,  if  he  be  a  true 
soldier.  Prison  life  is  harder  than  fighting,  but 
some  must  carry  the  heavy  end  of  the  burden, 
and  'tis  not  for  me  to  bemoan  if  it  falls  to  me. 
Know  you  in  which  of  your  pest  holes  we  are  like 
to  be  confined  ? " 


96  JOSOELYN   CHESHIRE. 

The  soldier  looked  into  the  clear,  steady  eyes 
for  a  moment  before  replying :  "  Tou're  a  rum 
chap  to  take  your  medicine  without  a  whine,  I 
like  your  sort,  and  I  hope,  when  this  cursed  war 
is  done,  you'll  be  found  alive ;  but  it  isn't  likely, 
for  methinks  you  are  to  go  to  the  old  Sugar 
House  in  New  York.  'Tis  as  full  as  an  ant-hill 
now,  but  they'll  shove  the  poor  devils  a  bit  closer 
together  and  squeeze  you  in.  You'll  have  plenty 
of  time,  but  not  much  room,  to  meditate  on  your 
evil  doings  against  King  George.  Still,  1  hope 
you'll  live  through  it." 

He  picked  up  the  empty  can  out  of  which  the 
prisoner  had  been  drinking,  and  moved  on.  Kich- 
ard,  who  had  been  sitting  upright  during  the  con- 
versation, sank  back  upon  the  ground  and  pulled 
his  cap  over  his  eyes.  The  old  Sugar  House ! 
Too  well  he  knew  of  the  misery  and  degradation 
in  store  for  those  who  crossed  its  threshold.  No 
escapes  were  ever  eflPected,  and  the  hope  of  ex- 
change, unless  one  were  an  oflBcer,  was  too  slim  to 
dwell  upon ;  Washington's  captures  went  for 
higher  game  than  privates  and  raw  recruits.  But 
two  things  could  open  these  relentless  gates  to 
him  —  death  or  the  end  of  the  struggle  ;  and  the 
latter  seemed  far  enough  away. 

And  Joscelyn !  would  she  care  that  he  suffered 
and  died  by  inches  ?  Would  she  think  of  him 
regretfully,  tenderly,  when  all  was  done  ?  It 
was  hard  to  love  a  girl  of  whose  very  sympathy 
one   was   not  sure ;    and  yet    he  knew  he   had 


FKOM   CAMP   TO    PRISON.  97 

rather  have  her  mockery  than  another  woman's 
caresses. 

For  an  hour  he  lay  upon  the  ground,  his  heart 
convulsed  with  grief,  but  his  body  so  rigidly  quiet 
that  his  companions  thought  he  slept.  They  could 
not  tell  that  under  his  cap  his  eyes  were  staring 
wide,  seeing,  not  the  cap  above,  but  a  girl's  face 
framed  in  soft  meshes  of  hair  and  lit  by  eyes  as 
gray-blue  as  the  sea  when  the  tides  are  quiescent 
and  the  winds  are  fast  asleep.  By  and  by  the 
intense  heat  of  the  evening  set  the  wound  in  his 
head  to  throbbing,  and  rousing  up,  he  begged 
the  corporal  of  the  guard  for  a  little  water  and  a 
bandage.  The  man  —  the  same  with  whom  he 
had  talked  before- —  brought  these  to  him  after  a 
little  delay,  and  found  for  him  in  his  own  kit  a  bit 
of  healing  salve,  which  his  English  mother  had 
given  him  at  parting. 

"  She  said  'twould  cure  bad  blood,  and  methinks 
yours  is  bad  enough  to  put  it  to  the  test,"  he  said, 
laughing,  and  yet  with  a  certain  rough  kindliness. 

"  Well,  since  it  hath  not  killed  you,  methinks  I 
am  safe,"  Richard  laughed  back  gratefully,  while 
one  of  his  comrades  dressed  the  wound,  which 
gave  promise  of  speedy  healing. 

""What  is  your  name?"  he  asked  of  the 
corporal. 

"  James  Colborn,  of  the  King's  Artillery." 

"  Well,  'tis  a  pity  you  are  in  such  bad  employ, 
for  you  have  an  uncommon  good  heart  and  a  face 
that    matches   it.      When    General  Washington 


98  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

hath  licked  the  boots  off  you  fellows,  come  down 
south  and  pay  me  a  visit.  My  mother'll  be  so 
grateful  for  every  kind  word  you  have  spoken  to 
me,  that  she'll  feed  you  on  good  cookery  until 
you  are  as  fat  as  a  Michaelmas  goose." 

"I'll  come,"  the  other  laughed,  "but  I'll  wear 
my  boots;  it  will  be  you  fellows  who  will  go 
barefooted  from  a  licking." 

"Don't  wager  your  birthright  on  that;  you'd 
lose  even  the  mess  of  pottage." 

Under  the  relief  the  dressing  of  his  wound 
afforded,  Eichard  fell  asleep,  and  his  dreams 
must  have  been  comforting,  for  on  his  face  was 
a  smile  of  happiness,  and  the  words  he  murmured 
made  the  corporal  of  the  guard  laugh  to  himself 
as  he  trod  to  and  fro  before  the  open  tent. 

"  Have  you  a  favourite  dog  named  Joscelyn  ? " 
lie  asked  teasingly,  when  he  roused  Richard  for 
supper. 

"No." 

"A  horse,  then?" 

Eichard  looked  at  him  questioningly,  half- 
inclined  to  be  angry. 

"You  have  been  talking  in  your  sleep." 

"  Joscelyn  is  not  a  dog  nor  a  horse ;  she  is  my 
sweetheart." 

"Mine's  named  Margie." 

There  was  a  moment  of  silence  during  which 
the  two  young  fellows  felt  almost  akin  with 
friendly  sympathy.  They  longed  to  shake  hands 
and  tell  each  other  their  love  tales. 


FROM   CAMP   TO    PRISON.  99 

"  Margie's  eyes  are  black,"  said  Colborn  softly. 

"  Joscelyn  has  sea-blue  eyes." 

"I  like  black  ones  better." 

"Fd  love  Joscelyn's  eyes,  were  they  as  vari- 
coloured as  Joseph's  coat." 

"  "Well  said."  The  speaker  thrust  his  hand  into 
his  shirt  and  drew  out  a  metal  case  which  con- 
tained a  picture  of  a  buxom  English  girl.  "It 
took  a  whole  month's  pay  to  have  that  made, 
but  I  wasn't  coming  to  America  without  bringing 
a  likeness  of  her  to  look  at.  When  I  am  pro- 
moted to  a  captaincy  I  shall  have  it  set  in  gold 
and  brilliants.  She  is  counting  the  months  until 
I  go  back  to  her,"  he  continued  with  a  burst  of 
confidence,  while  his  honest  face  flamed  with  a 
boyish  blush.  "For  every  week  I  am  away,  she 
drops  a  pebble  into  a  china  jar  I  gave  her,  that  I 
may  count  the  kisses  she  shall  owe  me  when  we 
meet.  Never  you  doubt  but  I  shall  cheat  in  the 
count,  though  I  have  to  carry  back  a  pocketful 
of  American  pebbles  to  help  me  out ! "  Then,  by 
way  of  prelude  to  that  coming  happiness,  he 
kissed  the  picture  with  eager  frankness  before 
returning  it  to  the  case,  saying  there  were  already 
twelve  pebbles  in  the  jar. 

Many  times  during  the  few  days  when  the  army 
lay  encamped  upon  the  sandy  reaches  of  the 
Hook  did  Eichard  have  occasion  to  be  grateful 
to  the  young  corporal  for  little  acts  of  kindness, 
and  in  return  he  told  him  something  of  his  OAvn 
life,  SO  that  a  curious  friendship  was  formed  be- 


100         ,  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

tween  the  two ;  and  when  the  embarkation  finally 
came,  Richard  was  glad  to  find  that  the  same 
guard  and  ofiicers  would  have  the  prisoners  in 
charge  until  the  dreaded  doors  of  the  jail  should 
close  upon  them. 

As  they  marched  clankily  down  the  streets  of 
New  York,  he  believed  that  now  he  knew  how 
condemned  men  felt  as  they  approached  the  gal- 
lows, only  the  gallows  seemed  better  than  those 
frowning  walls  yonder,  at  whose  narrow  windows 
the  miserable  inmates  stood  in  relays  that  each 
might  draw  a  few  good  breaths  during  the  long 
and  suffocating  day.  The  old  Sugar  House !  He 
set  his  teeth  hard  when  at  last  they  stood  before 
its  doors,  and  the  first  squad  of  prisoners  passed 
out  of  sight  within  its  gloomy  portals.  He  was 
telling  the  sunshine  and  the  clouds  good-by  before 
his  turn  to  enter  should  come,  when,  to  his  sur- 
prise, the  doors  swung  to,  and  the  squad  in  which 
he  marched  was  wheeled  down  another  street. 
After  a  few  minutes  he  caught  Colborn's  eye, 
and  read  therein  tidings  of  some  new  disaster. 
Whither  were  they  carrying  him  and  his  unfor- 
tunate companions !  No  faintest  hint  of  their 
destination  came  to  him,  until,  the  city  being 
crossed,  they  halted  again,  this  time  beside  the 
water's  edge,  far  to  the  east.  As  some  delay  was 
evident,  the  corporal  bade  the  prisoner  sit  down 
upon  the  shore ;  and  while  his  men  formed  in  the 
rear  to  watch,  he  himself  passed  slowly  up  and 
down  the  water's  edge,  stopping  at  last  beside 


FKOM    CAMP    TO    PRISON.  101 

Richard,  who  sat  at  the  end  of  the  line  of  cap- 
tives as  much  to  himself  as  possible,  for  his  heart 
was  heavy  with  a  new  forboding. 

"In  ten  minutes,"  said  the  corporal,  speaking 
quickly  and  in  an  undertone,  "  I  shall  have  parted 
with  you,  perhaps  forever.  I  know  you  for  a 
brave  man  and  a  generous  one,  and  I  am  sorry 
for  your  fate.  The  plan  has  been  changed.  The 
Sugar  House  would  not  hold  all  of  you ;  so,  for 
lack  of  other  accommodations,  this  squad  of 
prisoners  is  ordered  to  —  " 

"  Where  ? " 

"  —  to  the  prison-ships  lying  across  the  bay." 

Richard  staggered  up,  "  The  hells,  the  float- 
ing hells !  " 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  they  are  sometimes  called." 

"  My  God !  "  For  a  moment  the  fortitude  that 
had  sustained  him  during  the  last  ten  days  gave 
way,  and  he  sank  down  again,  covering  his  face 
with  his  hands  in  a  dry-eyed  anguish. 

"  I  wish  from  my  soul  that  I  might  have  helped 
you,  but  this  is  all  I  can  do,"  the  corporal  said. 
"  Pick  them  up  as  a  gift  from  a  brother  in  arms." 
He  surreptitiously  dropped  some  coins  upon  the 
sand,  and  Richard,  more  because  of  the  friendli- 
ness of  the  gift  than  because  he  thought  of  their 
value,  ran  his  fingers  through  the  sand  and  picked 
them  up,  shoving  them  into  a  torn  place  in  the 
lining  of  his  boot. 

"  You  have  been  good  to  me  — "  he  began 
slowly,  and  with  the  look  of  a  man  who  is  talking 


102  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

unconsciously;  but  with  an  impatient  shrug  the 
other  had  moved  away.  When  he  had  walked 
the  length  of  the  line  and  stood  looking  over  the 
water  a  minute,  he  came  again  to  Eichard's  side, 
apparently  with  no  special  object  in  view.  His 
voice  was  very  low  as  he  said  :  — - 

"True  soldiers  respect  each  other,  no  matter 
what  the  colour  of  their  uniforms.  I  g-uessed  — 
but  I  want  to  know  for  certain  —  did  you  let  the 
little  lad  escape  the  other  night  rather  than  go  by 
yourself  and  leave  him  ? " 

Eichard  nodded.  Colborn  took  off  his  hat. 
Those  who  watched  him  from  the  sand  and  from 
the  picket  line  thought  he  but  bared  his  head  to 
the  cool  sea  breeze,  but  in  truth  it  was  to  a  brave 
man's  self-sacrifice.  A  Scripture  verse  was  run- 
ning in  his  head  :  "  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than 
this,  that  he  give  his  life  for  his  friend."  But  he 
did  not  speak  it,  for  a  boat  grating  on  the  sand 
behind  made  him  turn. 

"The  ship's  warden  to  receive  you,"  he  said, 
with  a  quick-drawn  breath.  "  God  help  you  ! " 
Then  aloud  :  "  Attention  ! " 

The  prisoners  arose  and  lined  up  as  the  boat's 
crew  came  ashore.  The  warden  conferred  a  few 
minutes  with  the  corporal,  went  over  the  list  of 
prisoners,  counted  them  carefully,  eying  each  one 
sternly  as  he  did  so ;  then  turned  again  to  the  cor- 
poral, who,  after  another  short  conference,  stepped 
out  before  the  line  of  prisoners. 

"  Attention !     My  care  of  you  ends  here.     The 


FROM    CAMP    TO   PRISON.  103 

warden  of  the  prison-ships  will  henceforth  have 
you  in  charge."  At  a  signal  his  men  fell  back, 
and  the  crew  from  the  ship's  long-boat  took  their 
places ;  the  two  officers  saluted,  and  the  corporal 
stepped  aside. 

"Attention!  Forward!  March!"  the  warden 
shouted,  pointing  with  his  sword  to  the  boat ;  and 
the  handful  of  dazed  and  miserable  captives,  like 
so  many  automatons,  caught  step  and  sullenly 
moved  to  the  water.  As  Richard,  who  brought 
up  the  rear,  passed  Colborn,  the  latter  whis- 
pered :  — 

"Your  Joscelyn  shall  know,"  and  Richard's 
eyes  spoke  his  thanks. 

Then  the  boat  drew  away  from  shore,  carrying 
its  freight  of  helpless  despair  to  the  plague- 
infected  hulk  rocking  in  the  tide,  the  plaything  of 
the  winds,  the  sport  of  every  leaping  wave  that 
cast  its  crystal  fringes  to  the  sun. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A   MESSAGE   OUT   OF   THE   NORTH. 

"  I  love  thee,  and  I  feel 
That  in  the  fountain  of  my  heart  a  seal 
Is  set,  to  keep  its  waters  pure  and  bright 
For  thee."  — Shelley. 

"  XT'S  all  very  well  for  our  husbands  and  sons 
J-  to  be  away  fighting  for  their  country  —  I'd 
horsewhip  one  of  mine  who  sneaked  at  home  ; 
but  for  all  that,  this  manless  state  of  the  town  is 
a  terrible  test  to  the  tidiness  and  the  tempers  of 
the  womenfolk,"  said  Mistress  Strudwick,  as  she 
sat  on  her  porch  with  some  chosen  cronies,  and 
watched  the  young  girls  of  the  town  promenad- 
ing in  the  aftermath  of  the  July  sunset  with 
never  a  cavalier  among  them,  "  Look  at  Lucinda 
Hardy,  she's  as  cross  as  a  patch ;  and  yonder  is 
Janet  Cameron,  who  has  not  curled  her  hair  for  a 
week  —  just  mops  it  up  any  way,  since  there  are  no. 
men  to  see  it." 

"And  there's  'Liza  Jones  without  her  stays," 
said  Mistress  Clevering. 

"  Yes,  and  looking  for  all  the  world  like  a 
comfortable  pillow  that  has  just  been  shaken  up; 
but  if  there  was  a  man  under  threescore  in  seeing 
distance,  she'd  be  as  trim  as  you  please,"  replied 

104 


A  MESSAGE  OUT  OF  THE  NOKTH.       105 

Mistress  Strudwick.  "  Heigh-ho,  what  a  slipshod 
world  this  would  be  if  there  Avere  nobody  but 
women  in  it ! " 

"And  what  a  topsy-turvy  place  'twould  be 
wnth  only  men.  Kobody'd  ever  know  where 
anything  was,"  said  quiet  Mistress  Cheshire,  with 
poignant  recollections  of  striving  to  keep  up  with 
the  belongings  of  two  husbands.  "  Depend  upon 
it,  Martha  Strudwick,  the  world  would  be  a  deal 
worse  off  without  women  than  without  men,  for 
men  never  can  find  anything." 

"I  am  quite  of  your  mind,  Mary.  In  sooth,  I 
always  had  a  sneaking  notion  that  Columbus 
brought  his  wife  along  when  he  came  to  discover 
America,  and  that  'twas  she  who  first  saw  the 
land,"  said  Sally  Ruffin. 

"  I  don't  seem  to  remember  that  there  was  a 
Mistress  Columbus,"  said  Ann  Clevering,  biting 
off  her  thread  with  a  snap. 

"Well,  goodness  knows  there  had  ought  to 
have  been,  for  Columbus  had  a  son,"  replied 
Martha  Strudwick,  greatly  scandalized,  although 
her  own  knowledge  in  the  matter  was  somewhat 
hazy. 

"How  'pon  earth  did  we  ever  get  to  talking 
such  wise  things  as  history  ? "  asked  Mistress 
Cheshire,  whose  forte  was  housewifely  recipes. 

"  We  were  saying  as  how  men  never  could  find 
things." 

"  Oh,  yes." 

"Well,"  said  Martha  Strudwick,  thoughtfully, 


106  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

"  that  depends  on  what  kind  of  things  you  mean. 
IS'ow  there's  my  husband  —  and  he's  a  good  man, 
good  as  common  —  he  can  find  a  fish-hook  in  the 
dark  if  it's  good  biting  season ;  but  he  can't  see 
the  long-handled  hoe  in  the  broad  daylight  if  it's 
weeding  time  in  the  garden  and  the  sun  is  hot. 
Finding  things  depends  more  on  a  man's  mind 
than  his  eyes." 

"Then  there's  a  heap  of  them  who  lose  their 
minds  mighty  handy,"  retorted  Ann  Clevering. 

Mistress  Cheshire  pushed  back  her  chair :  "  I 
shall  run  home  and  caution  Dilsy  about  putting 
the  bread  to  rise  ;  she's  that  unseeing  that  I  think 
Providence  must  have  first  meant  her  to  be  a 
man."  "Which  was  as  near  a  joke  as  anything 
Mistress  Cheshire  ever  said.  As  she  trotted 
away  the  others  looked  after  her  affectionately. 

"  Mary  is  such  a  mild-mannered  woman,"  said 
Ann  Clevering;  "many's  the  time  I've  heard  her 
first  husband  —  dead  and  gone  these  twenty-three 
years  —  say  it  was  an  accident  little  short  of  a 
miracle  how  Providence  could  make  a  woman 
with  so  little  tongue." 

"  Joscelyn,  with  her  goings-on,  must  be  a  dread- 
ful trial  to  her,"  sighed  Amanda  Bryce. 

"  And  not  only  to  her  mother,  but  to  the  whole 
town,"  snapped  another  woman. 

"  Hoity-toity  !  "  bristled  Mistress  Strudwick, 
"what's  the  matter  with  Joscelyn?  She  is  the 
very  life  of  the  place,  now  that  the  men  are  gone. 
If  'twere  not  for  discussing  her,  and  abusing  her," 


A  MESSAGE  OUT  OF  THE  NORTH.       107 

—  with  a  withering  glance  at  the  last  speaker,  — 
"  we  should  go  tongue-tied  for  lack  of  somewhat 
to  talk  about.  She's  a  tonic  for  us  all,  and  with- 
out her  we'd  be  going  to  sleep." 

"  Sleep  is  a  good  thing,"  sniffed  Amanda  Bryce. 

"Ay,"  retorted  Mistress  Strudwick,  "when 
you  are  tucked  in  bed  and  the  lights  are  out,  it 
is ;  but  not  when  you  are  standing  up  flat-footed 
with  baking  and  brewing  and  weaving  and  such 
things  to  look  after.  Joscelyn's  all  right,  Tory 
though  she  be.  Look  at  her  now,  with  all  those 
red  roses  stuck  around  her  belt;  she's  the  finest 
sight  on  the  street." 

"Fine  enough  to  look  at,  I'm  not  gainsaying 
you ;  what  I  object  to  is  hearing  her  when  she 
talks  about  our  war." 

"  Well,  Amanda,  if  our  swords  were  all  as  sharp 
as  her  tongue  can  be,  the  war  would  soon  be  over." 

"  You  always  were  partial  to  the  lass,  Martha." 

"Av,  I  often  told  Richard  Cleverinff  I'd  be 
his  rival  were  I  a  man,  old  or  young ;  and  truly 
I  believe  Joscelyn  would  look  with  more  favour 
upon  me  of  the  two,"  laughed  the  corpulent  dame, 
remembering  the  soft  little  touches  with  which 
the  girl  sometimes  tidied  up  her  gray  hair  and 
unruly  neckerchief,  and  the  caress  upon  her  cheek 
that  always  closed  the  job. 

"  I  wonder  you  can  take  up  so  for  her,  Martha, 
when  all  your  menfolk  are  in  the  Continental 
army,  and  she  a  rank  Tory." 

"Oh,  I  can  forgive  a  woman  her  politics,  be- 


108  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

cause,  like  a  man's  religion,  it's  apt  to  be  picked 
up  second-hand  and  liable  to  change  at  any 
time." 

"  Don't  you  believe  men  have  any  true  re- 
ligion ? " 

"  Well,  ye-e-s ;  if  the  rain  comes  in  season,  and 
the  crops  are  good,  and  the  cattle  don't  break  into 
the  corn,  and  their  victuals  are  well  cooked,  they 
are  apt  to  be  middling  religious." 

"Remember  you  have  a  husband  of  your  own." 

"  Yes,  praise  God,  I  have,  and  a  good  man  he 
is,  too ;  but  when  the  dam  in  the  levee  breaks,  or 
the  cows  get  the  hollow-horn,  he's  that  rearing, 
tearing  put  out  that  he  couldn't  say  offhand 
whether  preordination  or  general  salvation  was 
the  true  doctrine ;  but  the  time  never  comes  when 
he's  too  mad  or  too  worried  to  know  he's  a  "Whig, 
every  hair  of  him.  That  is  what  makes  me  say 
religion  is  a  picked-up  habit  with  men  and  poli- 
tics is  their  nature.  "With  a  woman  it's  the  other 
way ;  so  I  laugh  at  Joscelyn's  politics,  and  kiss 
her  bonny  face  and  love  her  all  the  time." 

"  That  is  more  than  I  can  do.  If  it  were  not 
for  her  mother,  I  should  forbid  my  daughter  to 
have  aught  to  do  with  her,"  said  Amanda  "Bryce, 
sniffily,  as  Joscelyn  passed  the  gate  with  Betty 
Clevering  and  Janet  Cameron,  and  called  up  a 
pleasant  "  good  afternoon  "  to  the  elder  women. 

"Well,  your  girl  and  not  Joscelyn  would  be 
the  loser  thereby,"  retorted  Martha  Strudwick, 
regardless  of  the  fact  that  she  was  in  her  own 


A  MESSAGE  OUT  OF  THE  NORTH.       109 

house;  and  there  would  doubtless  have  been 
sharp  words  had  not  Mistress  Clevering  inter- 
posed with  some  gentle  remonstrance. 

A  little  later  the  whole  party  of  young  people 
befiran  to  move  toward  the  tavern ;  for  it  was  the 
day  the  post  was  due,  if  by  good  fortune  it  had 
escaped  the  marauders  and  highwaymen  who,  in 
the  assumed  name  of  war,  infested  the  roads. 
Always  there  was  a  crowd  about  the  tavern  on 
Thursday  afternoons,  in  hopes  that  news  of  the 
fiffhtinD-  and  of  friends  would  be  forthcoming. 
This  particular  day  they  were  not  disappointed ; 
for  the  women  on  the  porch,  looking  up  the 
street,  presently  saw  that  something  unusual  was 
to  pay,  and  forgetful  of  bonnets  or  caps,  they 
hastened  to  learn  what  it  Avas.  The  postbag, 
with  its  slender  store,  lay  neglected  on  the  table, 
for  the  crowd  had  gathered  eagerly  about  some 
one  on  the  steps,  and  exclamations  and  questions 
filled  the  air. 

"  What  is  it  ? "  demanded  Mistress  Strudwick, 
breathless  from  her  haste,  and  the  crowd  divided 
and  showed  a  lad,  pale  and  worn,  sitting  on  the 
steps. 

"  Billy,  my  Billy  !  "  shrieked  Amanda  Bryce, 
and  passing  the  other  women,  she  caught  him 
in  her  arms  and  hugged  him  frantically.  For 
a  few  moments  no  one  spoke  or  interfered,  but 
after  the  dame  had  kissed  every  square  inch  of 
his  face,  and  had  felt  his  head,  shoulders,  and 
arms  for  fractures,  Martha  Strudwick  interposed. 


110  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

"  Come,  Billy,  tell  us  where  you  come  from  and 
what  news  you  bring  from  the  front.  Has  there 
been  a  fight,  boy  ? " 

"  Ay,  and  a  victory  for  us," 

"  A  victory  ?  Hurrah  !  When  ?  Where  ?  Talk 
quick ! "  cried  a  dozen  voices  shrill  with  their 
eagerness. 

"  At  Monmouth  town  in  Jersey.  'Twas  there 
we  overtook  Clinton  as  he  made  for  New  York." 

"  We  have  already  had  rumours  of  it.  And  you 
did  fight  him  and  put  him  to  rout?  Who  fell, 
and  who  was  wounded  ?     Can't  you  talk  faster  ? " 

"  Truly  we  did  fight  when  we  got  the  chance, 
though  Lee  —  the  foul  fiends  take  him !  —  tried 
hard  not  to  let  us.  It  was  the  hottest  day  I  ever 
felt.     The  sand  and  dust  —  " 

"  Never  mind  about  the  sand  and  dust ;  tell  us 
of  the  battle." 

And  so  by  piecemeal,  with  many  a  question 
and  interruption,  he  told  them  the  story  of  that 
remarkable  battle  and  his  own  capture. 

"  And  who  was  taken  with  you  ? " 

"Master  Peter  Ruffin,  Amos  Andrews,  and 
Richard  Clevering  from  our  company,  and  some 
threescore  more  whom  I  knew  not." 

But  only  a  few  heard  the  last  clause  of  his 
sentence,  for  among  the  women  were  relatives 
and  friends  of  each  of  the  men  mentioned,  and 
there  were  sobs  and  moans  for  the  fate  of  their 
loved  ones.  So  great  was  the  abhorrence  in 
which     British    prisons    were    held,    that    death 


A   MESSAGE    OUT    OF   THE    NORTH.  Ill 

seemed  almost  preferable.  Then  presently  Betty 
Clevering  cried  shrilly  :  — 

"  And  if  you  were  captured,  how  comes  it  you 
are  here  ? " 

"  I  escaped." 

"  And  how  many  escaped  with  you  ? " 

"  None  —  none ;  not  even  Richard." 

Mistress  RuflBn  took  him  sharply  by  the  arm. 
"Do  you  mean  to  say  tliat  a  strip  of  a  lad  like 
you  had  sense  enough  to  get  away,  and  grown 
men  were  held  ?     That's  a  pretty  tale !  " 

And  then  with  stifled  sobs  he  told  of  Richard's 
sacrifice  and  his  own  getting  away. 

"  For  an  hour  I  waited  there  in  the  grass,  hop- 
ing for  him  to  come  ;  and  when  I  dared  stay  no 
longer  I  crept  to  the  hillside  and  hid  in  a  little 
cave,  from  which  I  w^atched  the  army  in  the  dis- 
tance take  up  its  march  next  day.  I  started  once 
to  go  back  and  die  with  Richard  in  prison,  but  —  " 

"  Talk  not  so,  my  son ;  'twould  have  killed  me 
and  done  Richard  no  good,"  cried  his  mother, 
caressing  his  curly  head  against  her  shoulder. 
"  Richard  did  not  want  you  back  —  God  bless 
him  for  a  generous  lad ! " 

"  No,"  sobbed  the  lad,  "  he  is  so  noble,  so  good ; 
and  I  let  him  go  back,  let  him  sacrifice  himself  for 
me,  for  had  I  but  slept  on  he  would  have  gotten 
away." 

All  this  while  Mistress  Clevering  had  not  spoken; 
now  she  lifted  her  head,  and  no  mother  of  Sparta 
ever  looked  more  proud  or  more  resigned. 


112  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

"  Yes,  you  were  right  to  come  away ;  he  gave 
you  your  freedom  at  the  cost  of  his  own,  and  it 
would  have  grieved  him  had  you  returned  and 
made  the  sacrifice  useless.  'Tis  a  beautiful  thing 
to  be  the  mother  of  a  son  like  that.  I  am  con- 
tent." And  Martha  Strudwick  leaned  over  and 
kissed  her  softly. 

"  And  how  fared  it  with  you  when  the  British 
had  marched  away  ? "  asked  his  mother  of  Billy. 

"  I  reached  the  coast  and  followed  it  for  two 
days,  when  I  came  to  a  village  whence  a  trading 
vessel  was  leaving  to  smuggle  its  cargo  to  the 
south.  The  captain  took  me  on,  and  after  ten 
days  I  was  put  ashore  near  ISTew  Berne  town,  from 
which  place  I  have  made  my  way  home,  travelling 
with  the  post  these  two  days." 

"  You  have  not  then  been  back  to  the  army  ? " 

"  ]S'o,  but  I  shall  start  to-morrow,  now  that  I 
have  seen  you,  mother,  and  when  I  have  given 
Kichard's  messages  to  Mistress  Clevering  and  —  " 

He  stopped  ;  but  his  glance  had  travelled  to  Jos- 
celyn  standing  at  the  edge  of  the  crowd,  and  Janet 
Cameron  laughed. 

"  What  said  my  boy  ?  Out  with  it !  "  cried  Mis- 
tress Clevering,  eagerly. 

"  He  did  send  you  his  dear  love,  even  as  he  was 
to  bring  mine  to  mother  had  I  been  the  one  left 
behind.  I  would  I  could  tell  you  how  reverent  and 
tender  his  voice  was  when  he  spoke  your  name." 

The  Spartan  in  the  woman  broke  down,  and  the 
mother  prevailed.     "  My  son,  my  dear  son,  did  God 


A  MESSAGE  OUT  OF  THE  NORTH.        113 

give  you  in  answer  to  my  prayers  only  to  take  you 
away  like  this  ?  What  may  he  not  be  suffering  at 
this  very  moment,  and  I  w^ho  have  w^atched  him 
from  his  cradle  powerless  to  help  him !  Oh,  but 
war  is  a  cruel  thing !     My  son,  my  son  ! " 

Betty  and  Mistress  Cheshire  led  her  away  weep- 
ing, and  for  a  few  minutes,  silence  held  the  women 
as  they  looked  away  to  the  north  and  thought  of 
the  strife  enacting,  and  the  pain  being  endured 
there  for  liberty.  And  besides  those  carried 
away  into  captivity,  how  many  others  —  perhaps 
their  own  nearest  and  dearest  —  had  been  left  on 
the  battle-field  ? 

"  See,"  cried  Amanda  Bryce,  turning  fiercely  on 
Joscelyn,  whose  eyes,  full  of  a  misty  tenderness, 
w^ere  following  Aunt  Clevering  down  the  street  — 
"  see  what  you  miserable  Tories  are  doing  to  us, 
your  neighbours !  Shame  upon  you,  I  say ;  shame 
upon  you ! " 

"Ay,  shame  upon  you!"  cried  several  voices; 
and  faces  scowled  and  a  few  fists  were  clenched. 
The  girl  cowered  back,  amazed,  affrighted. 

"  Pull  those  red  roses  out  of  her  belt ;  w^e  want 
no  Tor}^  colours  here  !  "  cried  Amanda  Bryce ;  and 
two  or  three  hands  reached  toward  the  knot  of 
scarlet  blossoms.  But  Joscelyn,  her  eyes  begin- 
ning to  kindle,  stepped  back  and  raised  her  own 
hand  w^arningly. 

"  Do  not  touch  me !  Yes,  I  am  a  Tory,  as  you 
are  pleased  to  call  us,  and  I  am  not  ashamed  that 
the  king's  array  hath  been  preserved  from  destruc- 


114:  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

tion  ;  but  I  am  sorry,  very  sorry  your  friends  and 
kindred  are  to  suffer  —  though  perhaps  some  pun- 
ishment is  necessary  to  rebels." 

Mistress  Strudwick  started  to  the  girl's  side,  but 
little  Billy  Bryce  was  before  her. 

"  Who  touches  Joscelyn  must  first  pass  me ! " 
he  cried  to  the  angry  women.  "Mother,  be 
silent !  What  share  could  a  girl  like  this  have  in 
our  capture ;  and  what  matters  a  few  men  taken 
when  the  victory  was  ours  ?  " 

"Yes,  praise  God,  we  thrashed  the  miserable 
cowards  of  Kedcoats  as  they  deserved." 

"  A  great  thrashing  'twas,  when  they  lost  not  a 
wagon  of  their  train,  and  took  more  prisoners  than 
Washington,"  Joscelyn  answered  tartly. 

A  dozen  voices  answered  her  angrily,  and  she 
opened  her  lips  to  reply,  but  Mistress  Strudwick 
clapped  her  broad  palm  over  the  girl's  mouth. 

"Hold  your  saucy  tongue,  Joscelyn;  and  you 
girls,  there,  be  silent  this  minute.  What,  is  the 
war  to  ruin  the  manners  of  our  women  that  they 
can  descend  so  low  as  to  brawl  in  the  public 
streets?  Shame  upon  you,  every  one!  What 
hath  come  of  your  senses  that  you  thus  demean 
yourselves  and  belittle  the  raising  your  elders 
gave  you  ? " 

The  reproof  had  the  desired  effect ;  for  the  girl 
stood  silent  and  abashed,  and  her  angry  assailants 
drew  back.  Taking  advantage  of  the  lull.  Mis- 
tress Strudwick  seized  Joscelyn  by  the  arm  and 
almost  forcibly  drew  her  away. 


A  MESSAGE  OUT  OF  THE  NORTH.       115 

"  Begone  to  your  home,  and  bide  there  till  you 
learn  some  sense,"  she  cried  sharply.  "What's 
the  use  in  butting  your  brains  out  against  a  wall, 
when  there's  room  enough  to  go  around  it  ?  There 
is  no  fool  like  a  self-made  fool !  Go."  But  when 
the  girl  had  gone  a  few  steps  she  made  her  return. 
"Promise  me  truly,"  she  whispered,  "that  you'll 
go  straight  home  and  stay  until  the  fire  you 
kindled  here  burns  down  a  bit  —  promise  you 
will  not  stir  from  the  house,  or  I  shall  not  sleep 
to-night." 

"  I  promise,  dear  Mistress  Strudwick,"  Joscelyn 
said,  kissing  the  big  hand  that  patted  her  cheek, 
"You  heard  me  say  I  was  sorry  our  townsfolk 
were  taken,  and  so  I  am." 

"  Yes,  yes.  Harkee,  tell  your  mother  I  say  to 
be  sure  and  send  Amanda  Bryce  a  loaf  of  hot 
bread  for  supper  —  Billy  will  be  hungry  with 
running  so  far  from  Monmouth,"  she  said,  with  a 
meaning  wink.  In  truth,  she  intended  the  hot 
bread  as  a  peace-offering  to  Mistress  Bryce,  for 
it  was  by  such  small  acts  of  quiet  diplomacy  that 
she  kept  down  the  enmity  against  the  Cheshires, 
or  rather  against  Joscelyn,  since  she  it  was  who 
aroused  the  resentment. 

Slowly  the  girl  went  down  the  street  thinking 
of  the  scene  just  passed.  Mistress  Strudwick  was 
right ;  it  was  a  disgrace  for  women  to  brawl  thus 
upon  the  public  thoroughfares;  never  again  would 
she  let  her  temper  get  the  better  of  her  in  this 
way  —  only  they  should  not  touch  her.     And  al- 


116  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

ready  half-forgetful  of  her  resolution,  she  mounted 
her  steps  with  flashing  eyes  and  flaming  cheeks. 

Presently  lights  began  to  glimmer  through  the 
dusk,  and  when  the  dark  really  came  every  house 
in  the  town  showed  a  candle  in  its  window  in 
token  of  the  advantage  won  at  Monmouth,  for 
since  Washington  held  the  field  they  deemed  him 
victorious.  Even  in  those  houses  Avhere  grief  had 
entered,  the  light  shone;  for  true  patriotism  is 
ne/er  selfish.  Only  the  Cheshire  windows  were 
dark,  so  that  the  house  made  a  blot  in  the  street. 
Mistress  Cheshire  had  gone  to  the  Cleverings  to 
condole  with  them  over  Kichard  ;  but  Joscelyn, 
because  of  her  promise  to  Mistress  Strudwick,  had 
bided  at  home,  though  she  would  much  have 
loved  to  comfort  Betty.  From  porch  to  porch 
the  women  called  to  each  other,  and  some  of  the 
girls  sang  snatches  of  song  here  and  there,  like 
mocking-birds  hid  in  the  shadows.  But  Joscelyn 
sat  at  her  upper  window,  silent  and  musing,  think- 
ing what  a  beautiful  thing  Richard  Clevering  had 
done  to  let  the  little  lad  go  free  while  he  himself 
went  back  to  captivity.  Suddenly  a  voice  below 
her  whispered :  — 

"  Hist  I     Joscelyn,  Joscelyn  I " 

She  leaned  over  the  window-sill.    "  Who  is  it  ? " 

"It  is  I  —  Billy  Bryce.  I  have  only  a  minute, 
for  mother  must  not  know  I  came,  but  I  have  a 
message  for  you." 

"  From  whom  comes  it,  Billy  ? " 

"  From  Bichard.     Come  quickly." 


A  MESSAGE  OUT  OF  THE  NORTH.       117 

She  ran  lightly  clown  to  the  veranda  and  leaned 
over  the  railing  to  the  boy  in  the  shadow.  He 
took  her  hands  eagerly  in  his. 

"  He  loves  you,  Joscelyn ! " 

She  did  not  answer.  He  was  too  earnest  for  a 
jest,  so  she  only  pressed  his  hand  and  waited. 

"  He  is  so  noble,  so  generous,  Joscelyn  ;  even 
among  us  younger  boys  he  never  did  a  mean 
thing,  and  there's  not  a  man  in  the  company  who 
is  not  his  friend." 

"  Yes,  I  always  knew  Richard  had  a  kind  heart, 
and  his  letting  you  go  in  his  stead  w^as  unselfish  — 
beautiful ;  and  I  honour  him  for  it." 

"  And  do  you  not  love  him  for  it  also  ? "  the  lad 
begged  wistfully.  "  Say  that  you  love  him  just 
a  little." 

"Kay,  Billy;  he  is  brave  and  kind,  and  he  is 
my  friend  and  Betty's  brother,  therefore  do  I 
Avish  him  naught  but  good  fortune  and  happiness ; 
but,  laddie,  I  do  not  love  him." 

"  You  are  cruel  —  heartless ! "  he  cried,  flinging 
her  hands  away.  "Richard's  little  finger  hath 
more  feeling  in  it  and  is  worth  more  than  your 
whole  body." 

"  Your  championship  does  you  credit,  Billy,  and 
I  shall  not  quarrel  with  you  for  appraising  my 
value  so  low.  Mayhap  Richard  thinks  differ- 
ently," 

"  Ay,  that  he  does  —  more's  the  pity ! "  Then 
taking  her  hands  again,  he  said  vehemently  :  "  An 
you  come  not  to  love  him,  I  pray  God  to  curse 


118 


JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 


you  with  an  ugliness  so  great  that  no  other  man 
may  ever  kiss  or  love  you  !  For  listen  ;  as  we  lay 
in  the  dark  that  night  waiting  for  the  moment 
to  escape,  this  is  what  he  said  :  '  If  you  get  away 
and  I  do  not,  say  to  Joscelyn  Cheshire  that  even 
behind  prison  bars  I  am  her  lover;  and  that  if 
death  comes,  her  face,  or  the  blessed  memory  of 
it,  will  outshine  those  of  the  angels  of  Paradise.' 
That  was  his  message.  I  have  faced  many  dan- 
gers to  bring  it  to  you.  Now  that  you  have  it,  I 
shall  go  back  to  my  regiment,  and  if  a  ball  finds 
me,  well  and  good ;  Eichard  will  know  somehow 
and  somewhere  that  I  did  not  fail  him." 

The  girl  dropped  her  head  low  in  the  star- 
light. 

"  Good-by,  Billy  ;  you  have  filled  your  mission 
bravely.  Heaven  keep  you  safe  and  send  you 
back  once  more  to  your  mother  and  us." 

He  put  up  his  hand  and  stroked  her  cheek 
softly. 

"  I  do  not  wonder  that  he  loves  you,  Joscelyn, 
you  are  so  beautiful,  and  you  can  be  so  sweet  — 
so  sweet,"  he  exclaimed,  and  then  ran  away  into 
the  dark,  leaving  her  alone  with  the  words  of 
the  love-message  ringing  in  her  ears. 

So  still  she  stood  that  a  big  moth  flying  wearily 
by  rested  a  moment  on  her  shoulder ;  across  the 
way  her  mother  was  bidding  Aunt  Clevering 
good  night  with  admonitions  to  sleep  well,  and 
from  down  the  street  came  the  voices  of  the 
singers  chanting  of  victory  and  the  home-coming 


A   MESSAGE   OUT    OF   THE   NORTH.  •    119 

of  loved  ones.  But  above  everything  the  girl  on 
the  dark  balcony  heard  a  deep,  strong  voice  say- 
ing, "  Even  behind  prison  bars  I  am  her  lover." 

Prison  bars ! 

And  suddenly  she  threw  up  her  arms  in  the 
flower-sweet  dusk  and  whispered  vehemently :  — 

"  Set  him  free,  dear  God  !  set  him  free !  " 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

DKEAMS. 

**  For  thoughts,  like  waves  that  glide  by  night, 
Are  stillest  when  they  shine." 

—  Old  Song. 

"  "O  OUSE  up,  Richard  !     Rouse  up,  man  !     An 

-*-^  you  give  way  like  this,  you'll  soon  be 
taking  the  ship-fever  and  dying.  'Tis  no  use  to 
wilfully  hasten  the  end,"  said  Peter  Ruffin  to  the 
apathetic  man  beside  him. 

But  Richard  sat  staring  over  the  waters,  saying 
only  in  a  dogged  way,  "  'Tis  no  use  to  retard  it." 

"  Ay,  but  it  is  ;  something  may  happen 
—  Washington  may  drive  Clinton  from  New 
York—" 

"  He  cannot,  for  he  hath  not  the  force." 

"  —  Or  we  may  escape." 

Richard  glanced  around  the  deck  where  guards, 
armed  to  their  teeth,  trod  in  ceaseless  vigil,  and 
then  looked  away  to  the  shore,  where  a  few  cab- 
ins marked  the  station  of  the  shore  patrol  who 
took  up  the  watch  where  the  ship  guard  left  off, 
thus  making  assurance  doubly  sure. 

"  "With  the  sea  and  a  double  guard  against  us, 
the  chance  is  not  worth  the  counting." 

"  A  resolute  man  could  swim  ashore  from  here." 

120 


DREAMS.  121 

"  Methinks  he  could  most  easily,  especially  with 
the  tide  in  his  favour ;  but  if  he  eludes  the  watch 
here,  the  patrol  yonder  will  shoot  him  like  a  rat 
when  he  crawls  out  of  the  water.  N^o,  Peter,  I 
have  gone  over  it  all  in  my  mind,  calculated  the 
method  of  reaching  the  water,  the  length  of  the 
swim,  and  the  best  place  to  land.  I  have  even 
tried  to  get  speech  with  Dame  Grant  w^hen  she 
comes  with  her  wares,  to  see  if  she  could  not  be 
bribed  to  aid  me  ;  but  the  warden  never  takes  his 
eyes  from  her  until  her  sales  are  over  and  her  boat 
ready  to  start.  She  has  a  solemnly  sour  face,  but 
mayhap  a  gold  piece  would  soften  her  heart  to 
merc}^  It  was  for  this  that  I  have  hoarded 
Colborn's  gold." 

"I,  too,  thought  of  the  bumboat  woman,  but 
gave  up  hope  of  aid  from  her,  seeing  how  she  is 
watched.  'Twere  as  much  as  her  life  is  worth  to 
give  us  the  smallest  assistance,"  answered  Peter. 

"  Yes,  we  are  cut  off  from  every  chance,  con- 
demned —  doomed  —  and  seeing  this,  I  have  given 
up  hope." 

"  I  am  some  twenty  years  your  senior,  Richard, 
and  I  say  to  you  that  a  sane  man  never  ceases  to 
hope." 

"Then  mayhap  I  am  insane  —  sometimes  I 
think  it  may  be  so.  Surely,  it  was  the  arch- 
fiend himself  who  put  it  into  the  hearts  of  the 
English  to  turn  these  disease-infected  hulks  into 
prisons  ;  no  mere  mortal  mind  could  have  in  itself 
conceived  such  a  thought.     The  fever  or  the  ver- 


122  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

rain  —  which  were  worse,  'twere  hard  to  say.  To 
rot  here  inch  by  inch,  and  the  fight  going  on  out- 
side !     God,  but  'tis  hard  !  " 

"  Hist !  the  guard  is  looking  at  j^ou  suspiciously. 
'Tis  no  use  getting  his  ill-will ;  let  us  talk  of  some- 
thing else."  And  when  the  sentinel  passed  slowly 
in  front  of  them,  the  older  man  was  talking  of  his 
boy  who  had  died  in  childhood,  and  the  younger 
one  had  dropped  his  head  again  upon  his  breast 
and  sat  in  moody  silence.  Thus  had  life  crept  on 
for  five  weeks,  each  day  of  which  was  a  slow- 
paced  agony,  each  night  a  long-drawn  horror. 

Wallabout  Bay,  where  the  prison-ships  wert 
anchored,  cut  into  the  Long  Island  shore  on  thb 
north,  and  was  protected  from  the  storms  that 
rocked  the  outer  deep.  Most  of  the  prisoners 
were  seamen,  but  now  and  then  a  squad  of  land 
captives,  for  lack  of  some  other  place  in  which  to 
confine  them,  were  sent  thither  to  starve  and 
suffer  and  wait  their  turn  to  die.  The  wound  in 
Richard's  head  had  healed,  thanks  to  Colborn'a 
salve;  but  the  confinement,  together  with  the 
scant  and  rancid  food  and  the  foul  air  in  the  ship's 
hold  where  the  nights  were  passed,  w^as  slowly 
undermining  his  strength  of  body  and  of  will. 
Each  morning  the  inhuman  order,  "  Rebels,  turn 
out  your  dead  ! "  which  the  guard  called  down 
through  the  opened  hatches,  sent  a  shiver  of  hor- 
ror to  his  very  soul ;  and  the  feeling  was  not 
lessened  as  he  aided  in  selecting  the  poor  fellows 
who  had  died  in  the  night,  and  saw  them  sewed 


DREAMS.  123 

into  their  blankets  and  rowed  away  to  shallow 
graves  upon  the  shore.  Two  of  the  prisoners  were 
made  to  act  as  grave-diggers  on  these  occasions, 
the  guard  going  merely  to  superintend. 

Twice  in  the  past  weeks  Richard  and  Peter 
had  gone  in  the  funeral-boat,  and  on  each  occa- 
sion thoughts  of  making  a  break  for  liberty 
had  haunted  them.  But  the  futility  of  such  an 
attempt  was  made  apparent  by  the  proximity  of 
the  shore  patrol,  within  range  of  whose  guns  the 
graves  were  dug.  The  nearest  cover  was  a  line 
of  sand-dunes  and  stunted  brush-growth  fifty 
yards  up  the  level  beach,  before  reaching  which  a 
man  could  be  pierced  by  twenty  bullets.  Regret- 
fully and  angrily  tbe  two  men  noted  this;  and 
later  on  had  it  all  doubly  impressed  upon  them  by 
the  shooting  of  a  prisoner  who,  one  day,  when  the 
grave  was  half-filled,  made  the  mad  attempt  to 
get  away.  Only  one  of  the  two  impressed  grave- 
diggers  came  back  in  the  boat  that  day,  for  the 
other  was  buried  where  he  fell ;  and  the  harshness 
of  the  ship-jailers  increased  toward  those  who 
remained. 

"Look,"  said  Richard,  shuddering,  the  second 
time  he  and  Peter  were  detailed  to  take  a  corpse 
to  the  sandy  burying-ground  ;  "  already  the  waves 
have  opened  some  of  the  graves  and  left  the  poor 
fellows  but  the  scantest  covering.  Before  long 
their  bones  will  whiten  to  the  sun." 

"  It  is  a  sickening  certainty !  And  all  of  this 
you  and  I  might  escape  if  so  we  would  but  go 


124  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

back  yonder  to  the  warden  and  take  the  oath  of 
allegiance  to  the  king,  and  change  these  tattered 
coats  for  gay  uniforms  of  scarlet,"  answered 
Peter. 

"  True ;  but  like  those  who  have  gone  before 
us,  we  will  die  in  the  ship  yonder  and  fester  here 
in  the  sand  first.  Between  death  and  English 
slavery  there  is  a  quick  choice,  and  we  made  it 
long  ago.  But  promise  me,  Peter,  that  if  I  die 
first  you  will  ask  to  come  as  my  sexton,  and  dig 
me  a  grave  deep  enough  to  keep  me  from  the  sea 
for  at  least  a  little  while. 

"  I  will ;  and  you  will  do  a  like  thing  for  me. 
But  as  I  told  you  the  other  day,  you  will  go  before 
me,  and  soon  at  that,  if  so  you  keep  up  this  dreary 
moping." 

But  Richard  could  not  bring  himself  to  hope. 
The  absolute  helplessness  of  their  position,  the 
powerlessness  of  action  of  any  sort  took  from 
him  the  ability  to  reason  normally.  Everything 
twisted  itself  backward  to  the  wretched  and  re- 
lentless present,  turn  where  he  would  for  consola- 
tion. And  so  after  the  morning  tasks  of  airing 
blankets  and  scrubbing  decks  were  performed,  he 
sat  all  day  looking  sullenly  out  over  the  water, 
studying  the  changing  moods  of  the  sea,  watching 
the  gulls  as  they  flapped  past  or  went  soaring 
upward  with  the  glancing  sunlight  on  their 
wings.  And  all  this  while  there  was  but  one 
clear  thought  in  his  mind  —  Joscelyn.  Plainer 
than  the  faces  about  him  he  saw  her  features,  and 


DREAMS.  125 

above  the  ship  noises  and  the  restless  wash  of  the 
waves,  he  heard  the  sweet  accents  of  her  voice. 
Incessantly  he  brooded  over  each  memory  of  her, 
recalling  the  chestnut  tints  of  her  hair,  the  blue 
lights  in  her  eyes,  and  the  rose  hues  of  cheeks 
and  lips.  Her  beauty  had  never  before  appeared 
to  him  so  great  or  so  much  to  be  desired  as  now. 

"  Even  behind  prison  bars  I  am  her  lover ; " 
often  he  said  the  words  to  himself,  wondering 
morbidly  if  Billy  carried  her  the  message,  and 
what  she  said  in  answer.  He  would  never  know, 
of  course,  for  his  career  must  end  j^onder  in  the 
sand  with  his  unfortunate  fellows ;  but  liberty 
itself  would  not  be  sweeter  than  some  token,  it 
mattered  not  how  small,  of  her  sorrow  and  her 
favour.  How  he  longed  for  her,  body  and  soul ! 
Always  in  fancy  he  kissed  her  good  night,  hold- 
ing the  sweet  face  between  his  palms  and  watch- 
ing to  see  the  eyes  droop  under  his  ardent  gaze, 
and  the  delicate  lips  quiver  with  the  passion  of 
his  caress.  He  told  himself  it  was  onlv  such 
fleeting  fancies  as  these  that  kept  him  sane.  For 
in  these  moments  she  was  tender  and  loving,  and 
she  was  all  his;  and  the  unknown  husband  —  he 
who  would  one  day  claim  her  in  reality  when  he 
himself,  with  his  idle  dreams,  should  be  dead  and 
gone — -he  hated  with  a  jealous  rage  as  vital  as 
though  the  man  stood  before  him  in  the  flesh  ; 
and  he  looked  at  his  fingers  with  a  dull  sense  of 
their  strangling  powers,  and  longed  to  feel  thera 
tighten  over  a  purpling  throat.     Peter  talked  of 


12l5 


JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 


heaven,  of  its  rest  and  peace;  but  how  could  there 
be  for  him  either  joy  or  peace,  even  in  Paradise, 
while  another  man  held  Joscelyn  in  his  arms? 
Often  in  his  cloying  misery  he  tried  to  make  out 
who  this  other  lover  would  be  \  but  no  one.  not 
even  Eustace  Singleton,  seemed  to  fill  the  place. 
Once,  and  his  heart  had  been  hot  with  jealousy  at 
the  thought,  he  had  imagined  that  under  hers 
and  Eustace's  frank  friendship  there  lingered  a 
warmer  feeling;  but  this  fancy  stood  no  test  of 
observation,  for  in  no  act  of  Joscelyn's  was  there 
a  trace  of  that  air.  indescribable  yet  unmistak- 
able, that  marks  the  beginnings  of  love ;  and  of 
late  months  Eustace  had  a  way  of  looking  at 
Betty  that  put  strange  fancies  into  Richard's 
head.  No,  Joscelyn  and  Eustace  were  not  lovers ; 
it  would  be  some  one  else,  some  stranger  who 
would  claim  all  the  sweetness  of  her  love.  And 
at  the  thought  the  murderous  fingers  writhed 
upon  each  other,  and  the  sweat  of  agony  was  on 
his  brow.  Then  his  fancy  would  take  another 
turn.  There  was  no  other  lover,  there  never 
would  be  any  other ;  by  strength  of  his  love  she 
belonged  to  him  here  and  would  be  his  through 
all  eternity.  In  heaven  there  is  no  marrying  nor 
giving  in  marriage,  so  the  Bible  said ;  but  surely 
God  would  be  merciful  to  him,  knowing  how  he 
had  missed  his  happiness  here. 

This  was  the  dream-palace  in  which  he  dwelt, 
while  he  gazed  vacantly  over  the  sunlit  sea  and 
waited  to  be  sewed  into  his  blanket  and  carried 


DREAMS.  127 

across  to  the  white  sands  by  those  who,  in  their 
turn,  one  after  another,  should  follow  to  the  same 
end. 

And  then,  one  morning  when  August  was  well 
on  the  wane,  something  happened  that  broke  the 
spell  of  deadening  despair  that  held  him  in  its 
grasp. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

NEWS   OF   LOVE   AND   WAE. 
"  Hidden  perfumes  and  secret  loves  betray  themselves." 

JOUBERT, 

"  TOSCELYN,  from  my  upper  window  I  have 

^  seen  a  rider  turn  into  the  next  street  and 
make  for  the  tavern.  Perchance  he  brings  news 
or  letters.  Will  you  come  with  me  and  see  ? " 
It  was  Betty's  voice  under  her  window,  and 
Joscelyn  put  her  head  out  a  moment  to  say  she 
would  go ;  then  ran  downstairs.  And  go  she  did 
in  spite  of  her  mother's  vehement  protest. 

"  'Tis  scarce  three  weeks  gone  since  you  were 
reviled  in  the  streets  as  a  Tory,  and  now  you  will 
go  thrust  yourself  in  place  to  receive  the  same 
treatment  again.  'Tis  folly  —  ay,  worse  than 
folly ! " 

'     But  Joscelyn  scarcely  heard,  for  in  the  street 
Betty  was  pulling  her  along  at  such  a  pace. 

"  Methought  you  would  be  glad  to  get  a  letter 
from  —  well,  from  —  It  is  something  over  three 
weeks  since  you  last  heard  from  —  "a  shy  little 
laugh  finished  the  sentence,  and  she  gave  Joscelyn 
an  extra  pull  which  set  them  into  a  run. 

"  How  glad  somebody  would  be  to  see  you  in 

128 


NEWS   OF   LOVE   AND    WAK.  129 

such  haste  to  get  a  letter  written  to  ine,"  panted 
Josceiyn,  laughing. 

"  Whither  away  so  fast  ? "  cried  Mistress  Strud- 
wick  from  her  door;  but  they  did  not  stop  to 
answer,  only  calling  back  merrily  that  a  man, 
grown,  yet  not  old,  nor  crippled,  nor  blind,  had 
ridden  into  the  square,  and  they  were  going  to 
have  a  look  at  so  wonderful  a  curiosity. 

As  they  turned  into  the  open  space  before  the 
courthouse,  the  town-bell  struck  a  few  resonant 
notes,  a  signal  from  the  decrepit  old  ringer  that 
there  was  news  for  somebody.  In  a  few  minutes 
the  place  was  thronged  with  eager  wives  and 
mothers  and  sweethearts  crying  out  for  tidings  of 
their  loved  ones.  Did  the  man  bring  any  ?  "X'es, 
he  was  but  now  out  of  the  north ;  whither  he  went 
mattered  not  to  them,  a  man's  mission  was  his 
own  secret,  but  in  his  pouch  were  letters  for  towns 
along  the  route,  and  he  brought,  besides,  news  of 
the  dreadful  massacre  in  Pennsylvania.  And 
when  the  few  letters  were  distributed  he  stood 
upon  the  steps  and  told  the  pitiful  story  of 
"Wyoming  Yalley. 

"  The  able-bodied  men  were  away  fighting  with 
"Washington ;  only  the  old  men  and  women  and 
children  remained.  Upon  this  helpless  band  hun- 
dreds of  British  and  Indians,  led  by  Butler,  fell, 
driving  them  to  the  fort.  Thence  the  men,  shak- 
ing with  age,  but  not  with  fear,  sallied  to  the 
attack,  were  defeated  and  captured,  and  in  sight 
of  those  within  were  tortured  with  every  fiendish 


130  JOSCELYN  CHESHIRE. 

device  the  savages  could  invent.  Then  the  fort 
surrendered,  and  in  spite  of  Butler's  efforts  toma- 
hawk and  scalping-knife  did  their  deadly  work 
among  the  helpless  captives.  Outraged  women, 
spitted  upon  rails,  saw  their  tender  babes  brained 
against  rocks  and  trees.  The  yells  of  the  captors 
were  mingled  with  the  cries  for  mercy  and  the 
shrieks  of  the  dying,  and  night  was  turned  into 
day  by  the  light  of  burning  villages.  In  all  the 
beautiful  valley  not  a  house  was  spared  j  and 
where  had  been  prosperity  is  now  but  a  desolate 
wilderness  strewn  with  graves  and  ruins." 

When  he  finished,  women  were  weeping  upon 
each  other's  necks,  thinking  of  their  own  little 
ones  and  those  other  murdered  babies.  And 
fierce  was  the  denunciation  of  Butler  for  enlist- 
ing in  his  army  savages  whose  brutality  could  not 
be  controlled.  This  was  not  war;  it  was  assassi- 
nation, as  cowardly  as  it  was  cruel. 

So  bitter  was  the  feeling  aroused,  that  for  a 
while  the  fact  that  the  courier  had  brought  some 
letters  was  quite  overlooked,  until  Mistress  Nash 
and  Janet  Cameron  came  forward  with  epistles 
which  contained  messages  for  many  of  those  pres- 
ent. Then  it  was  remembered  that  the  other  two 
letters  had  both  been  for  Joscelyn  Cheshire,  and 
immediately  a  dozen  voices  demanded  her.  But 
she  was  already  well  down  the  street,  her  arm 
linked  in  Betty  Clevering's. 

''Come  away.  Aunt  Cheshire  will  be  wretched 
about  you,"  the  latter  had  whispered  to  her,  re- 


NEWS    OF    LOVE   AND   WAK.  131 

membering  the  scene  in  this  yery  place  a  few 
weeks  before  and  dreading  a  repetition  of  it,  and 
in  her  secret  heart  wishing  that  at  least  one  of 
the  letters  in  Joscelyn's  hand  should  not  be  read 
aloud  to  the  public,  knowing  well  that  in  it  was 
some  love-message  for  herself,  for  was  not  that 
why  Eustace  wrote  so  often  to  Joscelyn?  And 
so  she  dragged  her  companion  back  the  way  they 
had  come;  but  as  they  walked  Joscelyn  tore 
open  the  letter  with  the  familiar  seal,  exclaiming 
gayly  :  _ 

"Paper  is  not  scarce  with  Eustace,  since  he 
sends  me  three  whole  sheets.  Let  me  see  —  Betty 
—  Betty  — Betty  —  just  in  a  fleeting  glance  I  see 
your  name  some  eight  times.  What  a  fondness 
he  hath  for  writing  the  word ! " 

"  Let  me  read  with  you,  Joscelyn,"  cried  Betty, 
her  cheeks  very  bright ;  and  drawing  close  together 
the  two  girls  held  the  sheet  between  them  and 
slackened  their  pace.  But  they  were  not  left  long 
to  their  privacy,  for  by  the  time  they  reached  the 
Cheshire  door  a  dozen  neighbours  were  upon  them. 

"  So,  so,  Joscelyn,  be  not  running  away  with 
your  tidings.  Tell  us  what  Clinton  is  doing  in 
New  York,"  exclaimed  Mistress  Strudwick,  who 
had  come  with  the  others  to  give  the  girl  counte- 
nancCj  if  so  she  should  need  it. 

"  Ay,  do  not  be  playing  the  selfish,  but  give  us 
the  news,"  cried  several  voices. 

"  I  am  as  ignorant  as  you  of  General  Clinton's 
doings,"  the  girl  said,  smiling  at  the  first  speaker  j 


132  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

"for,  as  far  as  I  have  got,  the  letter  is  full  ol 
questions  about  somebody  here  at  home." 

"Yes,  a  spying  letter  for  information,  no  doubt," 
sneered  Amanda  Bryce.  "  The  courier  said  they 
were  both  from  some  one  in  New  York.  Who 
writes  to  you  from  Clinton's  army  ? " 

"  Eustace  Singleton,  a  handsome  lad  whom  you 
know  right  well,  Mistress  Bryce." 

'•  He  sends  you  two  letters  by  the  same  hand  3 
Faith !  he  is  an  ardent  correspondent." 

"  l!^ay,  this  other  letter  is  in  a  strange  writing. 
I  know  not  yet  who  hath  sent  it." 

"  Break  the  wafer  and  read  it  to  us." 

"  I  do  not  choose,  Mistress  Bryce,  to  givs  my 
letters  to  the  public." 

''  Do  not  choose,  because  you  do  not  dare.'' 

"Do  not  dare?" 

"  Hush,  Joscelyn,  she  does  not  mean  what  she 
says,"  put  in  Mistress  Strudwick. 

"  Yes,  J  do  mean  it,  Martha,  every  word  of  it. 
She  dare  not  read  it,  because  it  is  a  spying  letter, 
—  asking  information;  mayhap,  which  may  give  us 
over  to  a  massacre  like  to  that  of  Wyoming :  that's 
why  she  dare  not." 

A  chorus  of  cries  and  hisses  arose,  but  the  girl 
an  the  step  did  not  quail.  Her  delicate  lip  curled 
with  scorn.  "  'Tis  false '  You  do  all  know  I 
would  be  incapable  of  such  wickedness." 

"Then  read  us  the  letter  and  prove  it." 

"I  will  not." 

She  thrust  the  letter  into  her  bosom  and  faced 


NEWS   OF    LOVE    AND    WAR.  133 

them  with  flashing  ejes,  the  very  picture  of  defi 
ance.  But  a  touch  from  Mistress  Strudwick 
quelled  the  storm  within  her.  Turning  swiftly 
she  put  her  arm  around  the  old  woman's  neck 
"  There,  I  am  going  to  be  good.  I  would  not  dis 
tress  you  and  mother  again  for  the  world.  But 
you  know  I  have  the  right  of  it.'' 

"  Yes,"  echoed  Janet  Cameron,  taking  her  place 
on  the  other  side  of  Joscelyn.  ''AVe  all  know 
that  though  you  are  a  Torj^,  you  are  no  traitor ; 
and  I  say.  Out  upon  Mistress  Brj'ce  for  hinting 
such  a  thing !  I  am  a  Continental,  and  my  father 
is  in  Charleston  fightmg  for  the  cause,  but  X  would 
trust  Joscelyn  Cheshire  to  the  end  of  the  world ' " 

Out  in  the  crowd  the  sentiment  against  the  girl 
instantly  changedj  and  ail  hut  Amanda  Bryce 
applauded  Janet's  words. 

"Eustace  Singleton  writes  her  naught  but 
love-letters ~ let  her  keep  them!"  cried  another 
girl.  "Methinks  I  should  not  want  the  world  to 
be  reading  my  sweetheart's  letters  and  counting 
the  kisses  he  sends  me" 

"ISTo,  nor  those  he  gives  you,"  said  Martha 
Strudwick,  with  a  merry  wink,  and  instantly  there 
was  a  great  laugh,  for  the  girl  had  been  caught 
kissing  her  lover  the  winter  day  on  which  the 
troops  had  marched,  for  which  imprudence  her 
mother  had  soundly  boxed  her  ears. 

"And  now,"  cried  Joscelyn,  when  the  laugh 
had  passed,  "  to  prove  that  there  is  no  treason  in 
this  letter,  I  shall  let  Betty  Clevering  —  as  good 


134  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

a  Continental  as  the  best  of  you  —  sit  down  yon- 
der on  the  bench  and  read  every  word  of  it  before 
I  myself  have  seen  it.  Here,  Betty,  be  you  the 
judge  whether  what  is  herein  writ  is  of  treason- 
able import;  and  mind  you  skip  nothing,  particu- 
larly the  love  passages."  She  laughingly  pushed 
Betty  upon  the  bench,  and  leaving  Eustace's  letter 
in  her  hands,  came  back  to  Janet's  side. 

"  My  letter  was  from  my  brother,  Joscelyn ; 
and  he  said  he  knew  not  where  Richard  had  been 
sent.  He  himself  is  in  the  old  Sugar  House  in 
New  York ;  what  he  suffers  he  will  not  say,  but 
we  can  guess,  since  so  much  has  been  said  of  the 
place." 

Joscelyn  kissed  the  tearful  face  softly.  "  Per- 
chance your  imagination  is  over-vivid.  It  grieves 
me  to  the  quick  that  any  of  our  townsfolk  should 
suffer." 

"  It  will  be  a  great  relief  to  his  mother  to  know 
that  Richard  is  not  in  the  Sugar  House." 

"Yes,  there  is  only  one  worse  prison  in  the 
country,  and  that  is  for  the  captured  seamen." 

"  Do  not  let  us  talk  of  its  horrors." 

So  the  conversation  went  on  until  Betty  Clever- 
ing,  her  face  like  a  budding  rose,  came  forward 
again. 

"This  letter,"  she  said,  holding  up  the  missive, 
"  is  one  of  friendship  merely ;  in  it  I  find  abso- 
lutely nothing  against  our  cause,  save  a  curse  on 
the  war  that  keeps  the  writer  from  —  from  her 
he  loves." 


NEWS    OF    LOVE    AND    WAR,  135 

"  Dear  me,  to  see  her  blush  one  would  think  it 
were  Betty's  love-letter,  not  Joscelyn's." 

"  How  shy  she  looks !  " 

"  Betty,  was  it  writ  so  tenderly  that  you,  who 
are  but  an  outsider,  are  abashed  to  read  it? 
Truly,  I  wish  Master  Singleton  would  give  les- 
sons in  love  writing.  My  man  talks  so  much  of 
General  Washington  and  his  doings^  that  he  quite 
forgets  to  put  in  the  love  passages." 

"And  'tis  for  those  that  a  woman  reads  her- 
letters,"  said  Mistress  Strudwick.  "  The  '  I  love 
yous '  and  '  dears '  and  '  kisses '  scattered  through 
the  pages  mean  more  to  her  heart  than  the  an 
nouncement  of  a  victory.  In  faith,  old  woman 
as  I  am,  I  always  read  the  last  sentence  first, 
knowing  it  will  be  the  sweetest,  if  so  the  writer 
is  in  his  senses." 

"That  is  why  I  wanted  so  much  to  read  Jos 
celyn's  letter.  I  knew  Eustace  would  never  plot 
against  his  own  town  any  more  than  she  would^ 
but  an  ardent  love-letter  makes  good  reading, 
no  matter  to  whom  it  may  be  writ,"  laughed 
Dorothy  Graham,  breaking  a  glowing  rose  from 
a  nearby  bush,  and  holding  it  playfully  against 
Betty's  cheek,  looking  archly  at  her  companions 
as  she  tapped  first  one  and  then  the  other  with 
her  finger,  whereupon  the  laugh  again  arose,  for 
some  had  long  ago  guessed  at  Eustace's  passion. 

Meantime,  Joscelyn,  drawing  somewhat  apart, 
took  the  strange  letter  from  her  dress  and  broke 
the  wafer.     The  missive   covered  but  one  scant 


136  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE, 

page,  but  those  who  watched   as  she  read  saw 
her  face  grow  pale  and  her  lip  tremble. 

Mistress  Joscelyn  Cheshire,  in  Hillsboro'-town : 

Richard  Clevering,  with  ten  of  his  comrades,  taken 
at  Monmouth  field,  lies  in  one  of  the  prison-ships  in 
Wallabout  Bay.  If  he  is  aught  to  you,  —  you  know- 
best  whom  he  loves,  —  bestir  yoiirself  for  an  exchange, 
for  only  that  can  save  him  from  the  sure  death  that 
lurks  in  those  accursed  hulks.  I,  one  of  the  guard  that 
carried  him  there,  promised  him  that  you  should  know, 
and  at  the  risk  of  discovery  and  punishment  I  thus 
keep  my  promise.  He  is  brave  and  generous.  It  were 
a  pity  to  let  him  die. 

James  Colborn. 
New  York,  this  tentli  day  of  July,  1778. 

Even  in  the  far  southern  towns  the  infamy  of 
those  prison-ships  had  been  told,  and  with  a  sud- 
den gesture  of  compassion  the  girl  stretched  her 
arms  toward  the  opposite  house. 

"  Aunt  Clevering,  poor  Aunt  Clevering ! "  and 
thrusting  the  letter  into  Mistress  Strudwick's 
hands,  she  exclaimed :  "  Here  read  it  —  read  it 
aloud,  then  take  it  over  3'onder  —  I  cannot." 
And  gathering  Betty  close  in  her  arms  she  lis- 
tened while  the  letter  was  read  to  the  sorrow- 
ing women. 

"Who  are  the  others?     Called  he  no  names?" 
"Oh,  mayhap  one  is  my  son!" 
"  And  another  may  be  my  husband  ! "  ' 
"  Even  the  Sugar  House  had  been  easier  than 
this!      Mark   you   what   we   have   heard   of   the 
ferocity  of  the  jailers,  the  foulness  of   the  food, 


NEWS    OF    LOVE   AND    WAE.  137 

the  loathsomeness  of  the  ships!     They  will  die, 
our  brave  lads  will  all  die  there ! " 

"  Will  die  ?  —  Nay,  perchance  they  are  already 
dead ;  'tis  a  month  since  this  letter  was  writ, 
and  two  months  since  Monmouth  fight." 

And  the  letter  went  the  rounds  of  the  town, 
carrying  sorrow  everywhere  and  a  miserable  dread 
and  uncertainty  into  many  homes,  for  all  of  the 
men  missing  from  Monmouth  were  not  yet  ac- 
counted for.  Whose  dear  ones  were  suffer- 
ing with  Richard,  mine  or  thine,  or  our  neigh- 
bour's ? 

All  the  afternoon,  Joscelyn  paced  her  floor, 
her  brows  knitted,  her  fingers  clenched.  She 
knew  best  whom  he  loved?  Yes,  she  knew. 
Every  day  for  the  past  year  he  had  let  her  see 
his  heart;  even  in  their  quarrels  over  the  war, 
he  had  not  forgotten  that  he  loved  her.  At  first 
she  had  taken  it  for  a  passing  fancy,  and  had 
treated  him  with  laughing  coquetry,  fanning  his 
love  later  on  into  the  white  flame  of  passion  with 
that  groundless  jealousy  of  Eustace.  Then  it 
was  she  realized  what  it  was  with  which  she 
was  playing. 

And  now  he  was  lying  in  that  loathsome  ship, 
with  the  fever  on  one  side  and  the  harsh  keepers 
on  the  other.  Did  she  care  as  he  wanted  her  to 
care?  No,  but  her  anger  against  him  for  his 
persistent  assumption  of  her  acquiescence  in  his 
suit  was  all  forgotten ;  she  remembered  only  the 
happy  side  of  their  friendship,  and  that  he  was 


138  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

Betty's  brother.  She  could  not  put  aside  the 
appeal  in  Colborn's  letter,  for  it  was  an  appeal 
from  Richard  himself ;  and  yet  what  could  she,  a 
mere  girl  without  aid  or  influence,  do  to  set  him 
free?  That  was  why  her  hands  were  clenched 
and  she  paced  her  floor  with  quick  steps.  Then 
at  last  she  sat  down,  and  opening  her  portfolio 
she  wrote  for  half  an  hour,  covering  sheet  after 
sheet.  When  they  were  done  she  gathered  them 
up  quickly  and  ran  downstairs  and  crossed  the 
street  to  the  opposite  house.  There  all  was  sad- 
ness and  tears  because  of  Colborn's  news. 

"Here,  Betty,"  she  said,  placing  the  folded 
sheets  upon  the  table ;  "  Eustace  Singleton  is  on 
Lord  Cornwallis's  staff  and  must  have  influence 
with  him,  and  through  him,  with  General  Clinton. 
I  have  written  Eustace  to  use  all  effort  and 
despatch  in  Richard's  behalf,  but  you  must  add  a 
postscript  to  make  the  plea  effective." 

"  And  why,  I  pray  you,  should  he  heed  a  post- 
script from  Betty  ? "  asked  her  mother,  angrily, 
forgetful  for  a  moment  of  her  grief. 

"  Because,"  Joscelyn  answered,  facing  her 
calmly,  "he  loves  her,  and  the  few  words  she 
writes  will  outweigh  all  my  pages." 

"  "What !  That  Loyalist,  the  son  of  Joseph  Sin- 
gleton, our  old  enemy,  in  love  with  my  daughter  ? 
This  is  some  mockery." 

"  It  is  the  sober  truth." 

"  I  do  not  believe  it ;  but  if  it  be  so,  then  will 
Richard  and  I  have  a  word  to  say  in  the  matter. 


NEWS    OF    LOVE    AND    WAK.  139 

Betty,  put  down  that  quill ;  I  will  not  have  you 
stoop  to  ask  a  favour  of  that  family." 

"  Not  even  for  Richard's  life  and  freedom,  Aunt 
Clevering  ? " 

"  I  do  not  believe  he  has  any  influence.  In  love 
with  my  daughter  —  what  impudence  !  " 

"  Rather  what  good  fortune,  since  it  may  save 
your  son." 

"  Mother,  it  seems  our  one  chance ;  bid  me 
write."     And  Joscelyn  joined  in  the  girl's  plea. 

The  older  woman's  features  w^orked  spasmodi- 
cally, but  presently  she  nodded  slowl3^  "  For 
Richard's  sake,  Joscelyn,  3^es;  but  mind  you, 
Betty  will  set  him  out  in  short  order  if  ever  he 
presumes  to  declare  himself.  She  knows  her 
duty ;  no  Singleton  blood  comes  into  my  family." 

She  could  not  see  Betty's  face,  for  Joscelyn 
stood  between  them ;  but  two  weeks  later  Eus- 
tace kissed  the  blots  where  the  tears  had  fallen 
just  under  her  pleading  little  postscript :  — 

"  Because  of  all  you  said  to  me  in  Joscelyn's  par- 
lour, because  of  your  red  roses  which  I  wore  in  the  pri- 
vacy of  my  room  until  they  faded,  I  beseech  you,  save 
my  brother ! " 

"  But  oh,  Joscelyn,  suppose  he  can  do  nothing  ? " 
"  Then,  dear,  we  must  carry  our  plea  to  Lord 

Cornwallis.      My  father  and  he  were  friends  in 

England ;  perhaps  we  may  gain  his  ear  through 

that  old-time  acquaintance." 

"And   how  will   you  reach  Cornwallis?"  Mis* 

tress  Clevering  asked  doubtfully. 


140  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

"  If  need  be,  Betty  and  I  will  seek  him  in  Gen- 
eral Clinton's  camp." 

Betty  put  her  cheek  close  to  the  girl's.  "  Jos- 
celyn,  after  all  you  are  not  indifferent  to  Rich- 
ard," she  whispered,  half  wistfully,  half  joyously. 

But  Joscelyn's  face  was  almost  stern.  "  This 
letter  from  Colborn  is  in  truth  a  plea  from  Rich- 
ard, since  he  must  have  bid  the  man  write.  Think 
you  I  could  let  such  a  thing  pass  unanswered  — 
and  from  your  brother,  too  ?  " 

"  God  bless  you,  Joscelyn,  though  your  heart 
is  as  hard  as  flint." 


CHAPTER  Xy. 

AN   AWAKENING   AND   A    MUTINY. 

"  I  can  bear  scorpion's  stings,  tread  fields  of  fire, 
In  frozen  gulfs  of  cold  eternal  lie  ; 
Be  tossed  aloft  through  tracts  of  endless  void  — 
But  cannot  live  in  shame." 

—  Joanna  Baillie. 

"OESIDES  the  patrol  and  the  ship's  long-boat 
-'-'  only  one  other  ever  tied  up  to  the  prison- 
vessels,  and  that  one  belonged  to  Dame  Grant, 
the  bumboat  woman,  who  brought  such  small  lux- 
uries as  the  prisoners  were  able  to  purchase.  She 
herself  seldom  came  on  board,  but  sent  up  her 
tiny  parcels  by  two  boys  who  made  their  deliv- 
eries under  the  eye  of  the  warden.  This  was  the 
woman  Richard  had  hoped  to  bribe  to  aid  his 
escape,  but  with  whom  he  had  never  found  the 
smallest  opportunity  to  speak  at  close  range.  She 
was  corpulent  and  coarse  of  feature,  and  the  boys 
who  served  her  often  felt  the  weight  of  her  big 
hand ;  but  Richard  had  once  thrown  her  a  jest 
over  the  rail,  and  she  had  laughed  good-naturedly, 
showing  that  she  had  a  soft  side  to  her  rough 
exterior.  In  the  lining  of  his  ragged  boot  were 
the  few  coins  Colborn  had  given  him,  but  not  so 
much  as  a  letter  had  he  been  able  to  bribe  her  to 
take.     Often  he  cursed  the  watchfulness  of  the 

141 


142  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

sentinel,  longing  to  send  at  least  some  little  mes- 
sage to  those  who  thought  of  him  in  far-off  Hills- 
boro'-town. 

The  morning  of  his  awakening  from  the  despair- 
ing stupor  in  which  nearly  two  months  had  been 
passed,  it  so  chanced  that  Dame  Grant  brought  in 
her  boat  a  basket  of  pears.  Yery  luscious  they 
looked,  for  sun  and  dew  had  kissed  them  lavishly ; 
but  only  the  guards  could  pay  their  price,  so  the 
prisoners  feasted  with  their  eyes  only.  By  and 
by,  however,  one  of  the  sentinels  who  had  pur- 
chased some  of  the  fruit  went  to  attend  to  some 
duty  below,  and  left  one  of  the  pears  on  the  rail 
of  the  deck.  So  transparent  was  his  action  and 
so  subtle  the  temptation,  that  it  almost  seemed  he 
had  set  a  delicate  trap  for  some  unwary  captive. 
If,  indeed,  it  was  a  trap,  it  caught  its  prey  ;  for 
one  of  the  prisoners,  a  poor  old  man,  starving,  yet 
too  ill  to  eat  the  mouldy  biscuit  and  rancid  meat 
that  was  their  daily  portion,  saw  the  tempting 
fruit  and  stole  it,  hoping  the  owner  would  think 
it  had  rolled  off  into  the  water  with  the  rocking 
of  the  ship.  But  nothing  escaped  the  argus-eyed 
watch  ;  one  of  the  other  sentinels  saw  him  as  he 
ravenously  devoured  it,  and  collaring  the  trem- 
bling culprit  carried  him  to  the  warden.  He 
acknowledged  the  theft,  excusing  himself  on  the 
plea  of  extreme  hunger,  and  begged  for  mercy. 
He  might  as  well  have  asked  for  the  sun,  whose 
rays  whitened  the  deck  and  shimmered  on  the 
restless  waves. 


AN   AWAKENING    AND    A   MUTINY.  143 

"I  will  make  an  example  of  him  that  we  may 
have  no  more  thieving  on  this  ship.  Order  the 
prisoners  out  that  they  may  see,"  commanded  the 
warden,  a  big-thewed  fellow  with  the  face  of  a 
bulldog. 

The  culprit,  whose  age  alone  should  have  pro- 
tected him,  was  stripped  to  the  waist  and  dragged 
to  the  middle  of  the  deck,  where  he  stood  weak, 
scarred,  emaciated,  —  as  pitiful  an  object  as  the 
sun  ever  shone  upon.  In  a  wide  circle  about  him 
were  crowded  the  unwilling  prisoners,  their  faces 
scowling  with  a  helpless  rage ;  and  behind  these 
were  posted  the  guards  with  levelled  guns.  While 
the  warden  knotted  his  lash,  Peter  and  Eichard, 
after  a  whispered  consultation  with  those  nearest 
to  them,  stepped  forward  and  touched  their  caps. 

"If  you  please,"  said  Peter,  acting  as  spokes- 
man, "  we  will  all  of  us  give  something  toward 
the  price  of  the  fruit,  if  you  will  spare  this  man." 

The  warden  wheeled  suddenly  upon  them  and 
struck  out  with  his  whip,  barely  missing  Peter's 
head.  "  Back  with  you,  an  you  want  not  the  lash 
upon  your  own  backs,  hounds  that  you  are !  The 
first  man  of  you  who  stirs  again  shall  have  his 
share  of  this  pastime."  The  ferocity  of  his  look 
and  voice  quelled  any  further  attempt  at  concilia- 
tion, and  the  prisoners  turned  their  faces  sullenly 
away. 

"So  it's  delicacies  your  stomach  craves,  is  it?" 
sneered  the  warden  to  the  trembling  man  before 
him.     "Well,  does  that  taste  like  pears  —  or  that 


144  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

—  or  that  ? "  and  the  cruelly  knotted  lash  swirled 
through  the  air,  and  fell  again  and  again  upon 
the  quivering  flesh  of  the  helpless  creature.  The 
man  staggered,  screamed,  reeled  from  place  to 
place,  and  finally  fell.  A  harsh  laugh  answered 
his  cries  for  mercy,  and  the  lash  went  on  until 
the  blood  spurted  from  the  livid  welts  upon  his 
body,  while  his  groans  were  horrible  to  hear ;  and 
the  prisoners  groaned  in  answer.  But  the  war- 
den's fury  was  aroused,  and  the  blows  fell  until 
insensibility  mercifully  carae,  and  the  man  lay 
still  in  a  pool  of  his  own  blood. 

"  So  shall  it  fare  with  every  thief  among  you  ! " 
cried  the  warden,  throwing  the  whip  down  and 
facino;  around  the  scowling  circle.  But  he  saw 
there  no  intimidation,  but  a  wrath  that  needed 
but  a  touch  to  burst  into  a  storm,  and  he  was 
quick  to  take  the  warning. 

"  Dismiss  the  prisoners  below,"  he  thundered  to 
the  guards,  and  went  swiftly  to  his  own  cabin. 

As  Richard  watched  the  cruel  scene,  something 
had  stirred  and  then  suddenly  snapped  within 
him ;  the  inert,  despairing  stupor  was  gone,  and 
in  its  place  was  a  wild  desire  for  action.  Every 
nerve  within  him  quivered  with  a  savage  impulse 
to  give  the  brutal  warden  blow  for  blow  —  nay, 
two  for  one ;  that  was  what  he  wanted  to  do. 
His  fingers  closed  in  a  fierce  grip,  and  only  Peter  s 
firm  hand  held  him  in  his  place. 

"The  guards  would  riddle  you  with  bullets 
before   you   could   get  to  him,"  the  latter  whis- 


AN   AWAKENIXG    AND    A    MUTINY.  145 

pered,  under  cover  of   that  other   terrible   noise 
of  the  floo^ffino^. 

"  I  have  but  once  to  die.     Unhand  me ! " 

"  Yes,  but  death  here  would  be  wasted.    "Wait." 

From  that  hour  Richard  was  a  changed  man  ; 

the  dulness  of  despondency  was  gone,  and  in  its 

place  there  had  come  a  recklessness,  a  demon  of 

desperation,  that  nothing  could  still. 

"  I  shall  not  stay  quietly  here  to  be  flogged  or 
to  rot  with  the  fever  and  starvation,"  he  said  to 
Peter,  and  his  jaw  was  hard  and  square.  "  I  shall 
get  away  or  I  shall  die  in  the  attempt." 

Two  days  later  the  flogged  man  was  sewed  into 
his  blanket  and  carried  away  in  the  funeral-boat ; 
and  the  malcontent  of  the  prisoners  broke  out  in 
angry  mutterings.  Here  Richard,  who  had  been 
brooding  over  a  plan  of  escape,  believed  he  saw 
his  chance.  By  night  his  plan  was  laid ;  and 
when  the  hatches  were  beaten  down  and  they  lay 
in  serried  rows  in  the  stinking  hold,  he  went  from 
man  to  man  and  told  his  scheme.  It  was  to  be  a 
mutiny,  a  direct  revolt.  At  a  given  signal  they 
were  to  rise  in  a  body,  fall  upon  the  guards,  over- 
power them  —  kill  them  —  and  then  pulling  up 
the  anchor  they  were  to  run  the  ship  to  the  open 
sea,  beach  her  somewhere  on  the  Jersey  coast  if 
she  gave  signs  of  leaking,  and  take  their  chance 
to  hide  along  the  shore  until  the}?"  could  get  away 
into  the  interior.  Richard  was  to  head  them,  for 
in  his  voice  and  manner  the  men  recognized  the 
spirit  of  a   leader.     He   longed   with   something 


146  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

akin  to  ferocity  to  strike  the  first  blow  at  the 
warden. 

"  And  besides,"  he  said,  "  since  I  have  proposed 
the  plan  it  is  but  meet  that  I  should  assume  the 
first  risk.  If  I  fall,  Peter  will  take  ray  place. 
Jack  Bangs  here  has  been  on  the  sea  all  his  life, 
and  knows  the  coast  hereabouts  as  we  know  our 
farms  at  home.  What  say  you  to  giving  him 
charge  of  the  ship  and  letting  him  choose  his 
own  sailing  crew  ? " 

"  Good  ;  he  is  the  man  for  the  place." 

"  Very  well,"  said  Bangs ;  "  but  we  cannot  go 
down  the  Jersey  coast,  for  we  would  have  to  pass 
too  many  posts  of  the  enemy,  besides  the  guns 
in  the  New  York  harbour.  "We  must  steer  east 
through  the  sound,  and  if  the  ship  is  beached,  it 
must  be  on  the  Connecticut  or  Rhode  Island  coast." 

"  Very  well ;  that  is  not  so  convenient,  since  it 
takes  us  far  from  our  army,  but  anywhere  will  be 
better  than  here." 

They  counted  every  risk :  the  difficult}'^  of  dis- 
arming the  guards,  the  proximity  of  the  other 
two  prison-ships,  the  interference  of  the  shore 
patrol  in  their  swift-sailing  boat,  the  disabled  and 
sailless  condition  of  their  own  vessel ;  but  nothing 
turned  them  from  their  purpose.  Every  detail 
of  the  plot  was  arranged  when  toward  morning 
the  men  lay  down  for  a  little  rest  and  sleep. 

All  the  morning  Richard  scrubbed  or  cleaned  as 
the  guards  bade,  and  then  sat  on  deck  with  his 
eyes  alternately  upon  the  sun  and  the  ship. 


AN    AWAKENING   AND   A   MUTINY.  147 

But  toward  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  Rich- 
ard  noticed  signs  of  dissatisfaction  among  a  few 
of  the  men  near  the  stern,  where  there  was  an 
improvised  back-gammon  board.  They  were  evi- 
dently angry  about  something.  A  quarrel  at  this 
spot  was  a  daily  occurrence,  and  occasioned  no 
surprise  among  the  sentinels ;  but  Richard  guessed 
that  some  other  cause  was  at  the  bottom  of  this, 
and  gradually  made  his  way  to  Peter's  side. 

"  'Tis  Henry  Crane,"  Peter  whispered,  and  his 
close-shut  fists  showed  an  emotion  his  face  con- 
cealed. "  He  is  jealous  that  the  ship  was  given  to 
Bangs  rather  than  to  him,  and  he  and  some  of  his 
fellows —  his  old  crew  —  are  threatening:  mischief." 

"  Fool,  to  risk  his  neck  and  liberty  for  a  dam- 
nable vanity ! "  Rising,  Richard  crossed  to  the 
group  of  players,  and  sinking  down  upon  the  deck 
gathered  the  dice  into  his  hand  as  though  to  take 
part  in  the  sport. 

"  I  play  to  win ;  and  the  man  who  fouls  my 
game  —  for  any  cause  whatsoever  —  has  me  to 
answer  to,"  he  said  with  stern  emphasis,  his  fear- 
less eyes  fixed  steadily  on  Crane's  face.  The  man 
flushed  and  began  to  mumble  an  answer,  but  the 
guard,  passing,  said  sharply :  — 

"  Since  you  cannot  play  without  a  row,  break 
up  the  game." 

The  players  got  up  slowly.  "  You  under- 
stand?" Richard  said  under  his  breath,  and 
Crane  nodded  surlily. 

The  afternoon  wore  on  and  all  remained  quiet. 


148  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

Crane  had  evidently  thought  better  of  his  foolish 
jealously.  It  was  growing  late,  and  there  was 
going  to  be  a  high  wind,  and  that  was  well,  for  it 
would  set  the  tide  yet  stronger  in  its  outward 
sweep,  and  their  flight  would  be  all  the  swifter. 

It  lacked  only  a  little  while  before  the  drum- 
tap.  Richard  got  up  and  stood  with  his  face  to 
the  glowing  west  to  take  his  last  farewell  of  the 
dream-girl  with  whom  he  kept  his  tr^'st  each  even- 
ing at  this  hour. 

"  Good-b}^,  sweetheart,"  he  said  in  his  inner 
consciousness.  "  I  love  you.  On  your  dear  eyes 
I  kiss  you  —  so  —  " 

"  Attention !  First  division  carry  down  their 
bedding ! " 

He  wheeled ;  for  he  was  in  that  first  division. 
A  quick  glance  about  the  deck  showed  everything 
quiet  as  usual.  Crane  and  a  few  others  stood  at 
the  far  end  of  the  deck  awaiting  their  order  to  go 
down  with  the  rest  of  the  beddins;.  This  would 
take  only  ten  minutes,  then  the  drum-tap  for  the 
roll-call  and  —  death  or  liberty. 

Swiftly  the  first  division  seized  their  allotment 
of  the  bedding  and  passed  below.  Knowing  what 
was  to  follow,  they  did  not  lose  a  moment ;  but, 
quick  as  they  were,  something  happened  up  above. 
There  was  a  sound  as  of  a  struggle,  a  fierce  cry, 
the  report  of  a  musket,  all  so  close  together  as  to 
seem  almost  blended  into  one  sound  ;  and  then 
the  ship  writhed  and  quivered  with  the  reverbera- 
tion of  the  cannon  on  the  upper  end  of  the  deck.' 


".    .    .    THE    PKISUNEKS     LINED    UP    AND    ANSWERLU     lO    THEIK     NAMKS." 


AN    AWAKENING    AND    A    MUTINY.  149 

Richard  sprang  to  the  ladder,  but  thrust  only  his 
head  above  deck  wlien  an  order  to  halt,  accom- 
panied by  a  touch  of  steel  to  his  temple,  brought 
him  up  with  a  pull.  But  a  look  showed  him  what 
had  happened.  Crane  and  three  others  lay  mo- 
tionless upon  the  deck,  and  the  other  two  men 
who  had  stood  with  them  were  covered  by  the 
muskets  of  the  guards,  while  the  warden  leaned 
against  the  cannon  ready  to  sweep  the  deck  with 
another  shot  should  so  much  as  a  hand  be  lifted 
without  his  orders.  He  was  absolute  master  of 
the  situation.  A  signal  was  run  up  to  the  patrol 
boat,  the  two  mutineers  were  bound  and  hurried 
away ;  then  the  drum  tapped  for  roll-call.  But 
no  one  made  any  show  of  revolt.  "With  the 
guards  aroused,  the  patrol  alarmed,  and  that  mur- 
derous cannon  ready  to  rake  the  deck,  it  had  been 
the  act  of  madmen  to  resist ;  so,  scowlingly  and 
surlily  the  prisoners  lined  up  and  answered  to 
their  names,  and  then  marched  below,  their  plans 
all  gone  wrong.  Richard  threw  himself  down 
and  sobbed  like  a  child.  The  plot  had  failed 
through  the  malice  of  one  man.  Crane,  thinking 
everything  was  ready,  and  that  the  men  would 
all  respond  to  the  signal,  gave  it  while  Richard 
was  below,  thinking  thus  to  snatch  the  leadership 
and  gain  control  of  the  whole  vessel.  But  the 
other  men,  watching  only  for  Richard's  signal, 
did  not  comprehend  or  respond  to  this  unexpected 
whistle,  only  the  five  who  stood  immediately  with 
Crane  falling  in  with  his  plan.      But  even  they 


150  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

were  not  quick  enough,  for  the  sentinel  upon 
whom  they  leaped  had  time  to  cry  out  the  alarm 
and  discharge  his  gun,  while  the  warden  sprang 
to  the  ever-ready  cannon. 

Although  the  prisoners  felt  the  warden's  anger 
in  many  petty  ways,  no  other  arrests  were  made ; 
for  the  two  captives  took  their  punishment  heroi- 
cally and  told  no  tales,  and  inquiry  of  course  failed 
to  elicit  any  information  from  the  rest  of  the 
prisoners. 

"I  cannot  stay  here  — I  will  not!"  Eichard 
cried  vehemently  to  Peter.  "I  am  going,  and 
soon  at  that." 

"  What  is  it  you  propose  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  do  not  yet  know,  but  I  am  going,  or  they 
shall  kill  me  with  a  rifle-ball  instead  of  by  slow 
starvation,"  he  said  doggedly. 

Then  one  night  a  month  later,  as  they  lay  gasp- 
ing for  air  in  the  black  hold,  he  unfolded  a  plan 
that  made  Peter's  heart  sick  with  dread  and  un- 
certainty. 


CHAPTEK  XYI. 

INTO   THE    JAWS    OF    DEATH. 

"  Let  terror  strike  slaves  mute  ; 
Much  danger  makes  great  hearts  most  resolute." 

—  Marston. 

"  Death,  when  unmasked,  shows  us  a  friendly  face." 

—  Goldsmith. 

"  "p  EBELS,  turn  out  your  dead  !  " 

•^^  The  inhuman  call  came  down  the  opened 
hatches,  and  the  prisoners,  stupid  with  the  foul 
air  they  had  breathed  all  night,  prepared  to  obey. 
So  many  times  they  had  heard  the  cry  that  they 
had  grown  callous  to  its  coarse  brutality. 

It  was  the  end  of  September,  and  the  delayed 
equinoctial  storm  would  soon  ravage  the  coast. 
For  a  week  the  sea-faring  folk  had  been  expecting 
it ;  and  now  at  last  the  great  gale  or  the  forerunner 
of  it  was  upon  them,  for  all  night  the  waves  had 
been  rolling  in  from  the  outside  with  the  sound  of 
thunder.  The  ship  had  pitched  and  tossed  and 
strained  at  its  moorings,  while  the  living  freight 
in  its  hold  prayed  that  it  might  break  away 
entirely.  The  hatches,  when  lifted,  showed  no 
blue  sky,  but  gray  clouds  and  scurrying  mist 
wreaths.  The  men,  coming  up  out  of  the  hot 
and  fetid  air,  shivered  a  little  in  the  stiff  breeze 

151 


152  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

on  the  deck,  then  opening  their  mouths,  drank  it 
in  like  wine.  The  faces  of  the  landsmen  had  an 
added  ghastliness  from  seasickness,  but  they  were 
all  bad  enough  to  look  upon,  —  seamen  and  soldiers 
alike.  In  squads  of  six  they  took  their  breakfast, 
eating  by  sheer  force  of  resolution  what  they 
loathed,  that  the  hunger  pains  might  not  gnaw  so 
hard. 

"  How  many  dead  this  morning  ? "  demanded 
the  warden. 

"Two,  —  Drake  and  Cowles,"  answered  Jack 
Bangs. 

"  Nay,  there  are  three.  Master  Warden,"  said 
Peter  RuflBn,  sadly ;  "  I  found  Richard  Clevering 
lying  stiff  and  stark  beside  me  when  I  got  up. 
The  bodies  are  there  beside  the  capstan." 

The  three  were  stretched  upon  the  deck;  the 
corner  of  Richard's  blanket,  as  if  by  accident,  fell 
over  the  upper  part  of  his  face,  but  the  mouth 
below  was  blue  and  drawn.  With  an  exclamation 
of  surprise  and  sorrow  Jack  Bangs  crossed  the 
deck  and,  lifting  the  blanket  for  a  moment,  looked 
at  the  face  beneath.  Then,  reverently  replacing 
it,  he  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  above  the  body, 
and  speaking  a  few  low  words  to  Peter,  went 
away.  The  warden,  who  had  watched  the  scene 
satirically,  gave  each  corpse  a  shove  with  his  foot, 
cursing  the  while. 

"D — n  'em!  had  to  die  the  worst  day  of  the 
month,  that  the  burial  might  be  the  more  trouble- 
some ! "      He  glanced  at  them  again,  gave  each 


INTO  THE  JAWS  OF  DEATH.  153 

another  kick,  and  checked  off  their  names  in  his 
book.  "  Here,  fix  these  hounds  up,  and  cut  your 
work  short  so  they'll  be  in  the  ground  before  the 
storm  breaks." 

"  If  you  please,  may  I  go  in  the  boat  this  morn- 
ing ?  Clevering  was  from  my  town,  and  I  should 
like  to  pay  him  this  last  respect." 

"No." 

Peter  knew  better  than  to  urge  his  plea,  and 
so  stepped  quietly  aside.  But  the  warden,  notic- 
ing the  slow  motions  of  one  of  the  men  to  whom 
he  had  beckoned,  shouted  angrily,  "  Out  of  the 
way  there,  you  infernal  snail,  or  I'll  fix  you  so 
you'll  go  in  the  boat  and  stay  !  " 

Peter  sprang  into  the  man's  place.  "  I  will  be 
very  quick,"  he  said,  touching  his  cap ;  and  without 
another  word  wrapped  one  of  the  bodies  quickly 
in  its  coarse  covering  and  took  a  few  stitches  with 
the  needle  his  comrade  held  out.  He  was  so  deft, 
and  the  lightning  was  so  vivid,  that  the  warden 
grunted  and  let  him  go  on.  Under  other  circum- 
stances he  w^ould  have  been  put  in  irons  for 
insubordination. 

The  stitches  in  Richard's  blanket  were  few  and 
slight,  just  enough  to  hold  it  about  the  body. 

"  What  was  the  matter  with  that  fellow  ?  I 
never  heard  him  say  he  was  sick,"  said  one  of 
the  sentinels,  stopping  to  look  on. 

Peter's  pulse  stood  still.  "  He  has  complained 
for  some  time  of  a  pain  about  the  heart.  All  last 
night  he  tossed  and  rolled,  and  just  before  the 


154  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

hatches  were  opened,  he  said  to  me  that  his  time 
had  come.  He's  hardly  cold  yet,"  he  added  hastily, 
as  the  man  bent  as  though  to  touch  a  hand  left 
exposed  by  a  rent  in  the  blanket. 

"  Well,  he'll  have  time  enough  to  get  cold  in 
the  ground,"  the  warden  said,  coming  up  behind, 
and  mistaking  Peter's  words  for  a  plea  for  more 
time  before  the  burial. 

"He  was  a  sullen  chap  to  whom  I've  been 
looking  for  trouble.  I'll  warrant  he  gets  not 
cold  between  this  and  the  devil,"  the  guard 
said,  giving  the  stiff  body  a  parting  kick. 

The  waves  tossed  furiously,  but  the  long-boat 
was  launched,  and  two  of  the  guard  took  their 
places  in  it,  while  the  man  who  was  to  assist 
Peter  at  the  graves  followed  to  receive  the 
bodies;  for  the  sentinels  never  touched  them, 
partly  through  fear  of  contagion,  and  partly  out 
of  contempt.  The  first  two  were  finally  lowered, 
and  then  came  the  moment  Peter  had  dreaded ; 
those  other  two  had  been  stiff  and  stark  enough, 
but  he  wanted  no  prying  eyes  looking  on  when 
he  lifted  this  one,  and  so  before  he  bent  over  to 
Richard,  he  glanced  down  the  deck  and  raised 
his  hand,  quite  casually,  it  seemed,  to  his  face. 
Instantly,  as  though  he  had  been  on  the  watch 
for  a  signal,  Jack  Bangs  started  a  funeral  hymn, 
loud  and  wailing. 

"  Stop  that  devilish  howling ! "  roared  the 
warden,  wheehng  around. 

Quick  as  a  flash  Peter,  signing  to  his  assistant, 


INTO  THE  JAWS  OF  DEATH.         155 

lifted  the  prostrate  figure  at  his  feet  and  swung  it 
over  the  side.  The  ropes  grated  on  the  rail,  and 
when  the  warden  looked  again,  it  was  all  over. 
Peter  slid  instantly  down  one  of  the  ropes,  and 
he  and  his  fellow  grave-digger  untied  the  cords 
from  the  body  and  rolled  it  over  beside  the  other 
two  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat,  the  guards  hav- 
ing their  hands  full  to  keep  the  little  craft  from 
swamping  in  the  waves.  Then  they  cast  off  and 
pulled  for  the  shore. 

"  What  makes  you  look  at  that  carrion  so  con- 
foundedly straight  and  scared,"  one  of  the  soldiers 
asked  Peter,  sharply,  noticing  how  often  his  eyes 
went  to  the  figure  at  his  feet. 

Peter  cursed  himself  inwardly,  but  he  had  been 
so  afraid  that  the  blanket  would  rise  and  fall  with 
a  strong  man's  involuntary  breathing  that  he  had 
watched  it  in  a  sort  of  fascination.  Now  he  looked 
away,  answering  slowly  :  — 

"  I  have  known  him  since  he  was  a  baby ;  he 
used  to  play  with  my  little  boy  that  died,  and  so 
I  keep  thinking  of  those  days." 

One  of  the  men  laughed  scoutingly,  but  the 
other  growled  out,  "  Let  the  fool  have  his  fling, 
and  give  me  a  light,  Carson ;  my  pipe's  gone  out 
in  this  cursed  spray."  And  while  their  heads  were 
close  together,  Peter  stretched  his  legs  out  over 
the  body,  that  if  so  it  lost  for  a  moment  it  rigidity, 
they  might  not  see. 

It  seemed  to  him  an  hour  before  the  shore  was 
reached  and  the  landing  effected ;  then  he  and  his 


156  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

assistant  carried  the  bodies  high  up  on  the  sand. 
Richard's  went  first. 

"  He  is  alive,"  Peter  whispered,  as  they  moved 
up  the  beach,  "  but  if  you  give  the  faintest  hint  of 
it  here  or  on  shipboard  by  word,  act,  or  look,  I'll 
throttle  you  like  a  viper." 

"  You  need  not  threaten  —  I'm  no  peacher ;  and 
besides,  I  liked  the  lad,  and  wish  him  well ;  but 
his  chance  is  slim,  and  if  he  is  taken,  they  will 
torture  him  like  the  incarnate  fiends." 

An  officer  from  the  patrol,  strolling  near  the 
boat,  called  out :  — 

"  How  many  to-day,  Carson  ? " 

"  Three." 

"That  is  an  unusual  haul;  you  are  thinning 
them  out  fast." 

"  Not  half  fast  enough ;  looks  as  if  the  cursed 
dogs  held  on  to  life  to  spite  us." 

"  Well,  'tis  said  that  Howe  will  bring  back 
plenty  of  recruits  from  the  French  fleet  to  fill 
your  gaps." 

"  How  is  that  ?     What  is  the  news  ? " 

But  Peter  was  listening  eagerly,  hoping  to 
catch  some  bit  of  outside  information.  The  offi- 
cer pointed  to  him  with  elevated  eyebrows,  and 
the  guard  drove  him  with  imprecations  to  his  task. 

"Your  shovel?  —  Well,  there  it  is,  you  son  of 
perdition  !  Go  on,  and  mind  you  be  quick  in  hid- 
ing that  carrion  from  the  crows." 

Beside  the  boat,  with  guns  cocked  and  ready, 
the  three  men  then  talked  over  the  war  tidings, 


INTO  THE  JAWS  OF  DEATH.         157 

while  thirty  yards  up  the  beach  the  two  grave- 
diggers  fell  to  their  task.  Rapidly  the  two  first 
graves  were  made  and  the  occupants  laid  therein 
with  only  a  muttered  prayer  from  Peter  ;  and  so 
were  closed  two  human  chapters  in  the  varying 
story  of  life.  The  wind  shrieked  in  from  the  sea, 
edged  with  foam  or  stinging  sand  caught  up  at 
the  water's  edge,  and  the  heavens  were  like  a  vast 
slaty  canopy  torn  now  and  then  by  jagged  light- 
ning flashes.  The  scene  was  a  fit  setting  for  the 
mournful  work  in  hand.  Once  or  twice  while  the 
two  laboured,  one  of  the  guards  walked  over  to 
look  at  them,  and  then  wandered  back  to  the  boat 
and  his  companions. 

Over  the  first  two  graves  the  sand  was  heaped 
high,  forming,  as  far  as  possible,  a  barrier  for  the 
third.  Shallow  that  third  grave  was,  —  so  shallow 
that  a  man  could  scarce  lie  therein  and  be  con- 
cealed ;  but  so  it  must  be  that  the  sand  might  not 
be  too  heavy  on  the  body,  and  yet  seem  to  be 
piled  up.  Tenderly  Peter  lifted  that  last  silent 
figure  and  stretched  it  in  the  hollow  made  for  it ; 
then,  while  he  still  stooped,  he  broke  the  frail 
stitches  of  the  blanket,  and  snatching  two  pieces 
of  driftwood  he  put  them  crosswise  over  the  head 
of  the  grave  with  their  ends  on  the  edges.  The 
hollow  space  below  might  contain  enough  air  to 
last  a  man  a  little  while. 

"  Stay,  here  is  piece  of  hollow  cane  in  the  sand," 
said  the  assistant,  "  keep  one  end  of  it  over  your 
mouth,  Richard  ;  we  will  leave  the  other  just  out 


158  J08CELYN   CHESHIRE. 

of  the  sand  ;  in  this  way  you  can  breathe  longer. 
—  So." 

"  Quick,  quick ;  the  shovels  !  The  guard  is  re- 
turning," cried  Peter. 

It  seemed  to  them  that  their  shovels  crawled, 
and  yet  they  worked  like  mad.  If  the  guard  got 
there  before  they  finished,  all  was  lost.  Spadeful 
after  spadeful,  —  was  ever  a  man  so  hard  to  cover  ? 
Another  step  and  the  sentinel  would  be  upon 
them,  and  the  blanket  scarcely  hidden,  and  those 
tell-tale  boards  and  the  cane  yet  in  sight.  It  was 
a  fearful  moment.  Peter's  heart  stood  still,  and 
his  comrade's  hands  were  like  ice. 

"  What  the  devil  are  you  so  long  about  ?  " 

But  it  was  only  the  angry  voice  that  reached 
them  ;  a  blinding  lightning  flash  ripped  the  heavens 
wide  open,  and  the  wind  with  a  demoniacal  shriek 
rushed  down  the  beach,  throwing  the  sand  in  a 
swirling  cloud  about  the  on-coming  man,  making 
him  stagger  with  its  force  and  snatching  away  his 
hat  and  rain  coat.  Half  blinded,  he  raced  down 
the  sloping  stretch  to  regain  his  garments  which 
more  than  once  eluded  him.  Then  in  the  lull  he 
came  back  swearing  furiously ;  and  finding  the 
men  leaning  on  their  shovels,  he  stuck  his  bayonet 
into  each  of  the  three  mounds.  Into  the  third  it 
penetrated  only  a  little  way ;  but  he  did  not  notice, 
for  the  wind  was  again  gathering  itself  for  a  fresh 
burst  of  fury. 

"Now  then,  get  you  to  the  boats!"  he  cried, 
standing  behind  them. 


INTO  THE  JAWS  OF  DEATH.         159 

Peter  paused  a  moment  and  crossed  himself  rev- 
erently, saying  in  a  loud  voice,  "  Your  bodies  to 
the  earth,  your  souls  to  God's  care ;  and  may  you 
pass  to  liberty  in  the  folds  of  the  in-rolling  fog." 

"  Pass  to  hell  and  the  devil !  Get  on,  I  say ! " 
cried  the  guard,  angrily,  as  he  struck  Peter  across 
the  shoulders  with  his  bayonet.  And  Peter,  hav- 
ing said  his  say,  ran  nimbly  to  the  boat ;  and  push- 
ing it  off,  they  leaped  in,  and  were  soon  toiling  amid 
the  breakers  to  reach  the  ship's  side. 

It  seemed  to  Pichard  that  long  months  passed 
while  he  lay  motionless  under  that  weight  of  sand, 
breathing  spasmodically  through  the  bit  of  reed. 
The  drift-boards  kept  the  pressure  partially  from 
his  chest  so  that  he  suffered  very  little.  The 
guard's  bayonet  had  grazed  his  leg  without  pierc- 
ing it,  but  the  thirst  in  his  throat  was  something 
terrible.  Peter's  voice  had  penetrated  through 
the  boards  and  their  thin  covering  of  sand,  so  that 
lie  knew  the  fog  was  following  the  wind  from  the 
sea.  It  was  for  this  he  had  hoped,  and  it  was 
this  Peter  meant  to  tell  him  in  those  last  words. 
Dear  old  Peter ;  how  he  had  tried  to  dissuade  him 
from  this  mad  plan,  and  when  that  was  impossible, 
how  he  had  risked  his  own  safety  to  aid  him. 
Richard  felt  the  tears  on  his  face  as  he  recalled  his 
friend's  unselfish  offices.  Several  times  during 
the  wait  for  a  stormy  day  he  had  been  on  the 
point  of  giving  up  the  whole  plan,  lest  it  work  a 
mischief  for  Peter;  but  the  latter  had  said  it 
would  mean  only  a  day  in  irons  for  him,  and  that 


160  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

he  was  willing  to  risk  that  much  for  his  friend's 
liberty ;  it  was  for  Richard  himself  that  he  feared. 
But  even  death  had  a  smiling  face  for  Richard, 
compared  to  a  winter  spent  in  the  vile  ship ;  and 
so  the  plan  had  gone  on,  and  by  Peter's  care  he 
was  lying  here  in  his  grave,  accounted  of  the 
world  as  dead. 

By  and  by  his  limbs  began  to  cramp  and  ache. 
Through  strong  will  power  he  had  kept  them 
rigid  during  those  terrible  moments  of  examina- 
tion and  removal  from  the  ship.  He  would  not 
have  dared  assay  the  plan  had  he  not  known  how 
superficial,  through  repetition,  had  become  the 
warden's  inspection  of  the  corpses  —  just  a  few 
questions  and  that  savage  kick.  Each  time  there 
had  been  a  death  during  the  past  fortnight,  he  had 
studied  the  details  of  the  preparation  and  burial, 
until  he  was  convinced  that  he  could  carry  his 
scheme  to  a  successful  close  if  only  Peter  was 
allowed  to  be  one  of  his  sextons. 

As  the  minutes  now  passed,  the  ache  in  his 
limbs  increased,  for  the  pressure  of  the  sand  was 
stopping  the  circulation.  Then  the  dryness  in  his 
throat  grew  and  grew,  until  he  could  bear  it  no 
longer.  Had  he  lain  there  a  year,  or  only  a  day  ? 
Slowly  and  cautiously  he  drew  his  hands  up  to  his 
breast,  then  higher,  and  finally  placed  the  palmf 
against  the  board  over  his  head.  The  first  move- 
ment brought  the  sand  in  a  shower  upon  his  shoul» 
ders ;  but  after  a  while  he  worked  it  far  enough 
back  to  leave  a  crack  between  it  and  its  fellow. 


INTO   THE   JAWS    OF    DEATH  161 

This  he  could  only  feel,  for  knowing  the  sand 
would  strangle  and  blind  him,  he  had  not  as  yet 
taken  the  blanket  from  his  face,  since  moving  it 
ever  so  little  to  receive  the  reed  into  his  mouth. 
Next,  he  slowly  pushed  the  other  board  down- 
ward until  a  rush  of  cold  air  told  him  he  was 
once  more  in  the  world  of  humanity,  not  forever 
sealed  in  the  haunt  of  ghouls.  Cautiously  he 
shoved  the  blanket  from  his  face  and  looked  up 
into  the  storm-hung  heavens.  It  was  mid-after- 
noon, and  he  had  thought  it  must  be  midnight. 
Eagerly  he  drew  in  the  air,  cool  and  laden  with 
moisture,  and  tried  to  forget  his  aching  limbs. 
He  dared  not  stir  yet  lest  the  patrol  should  see 
him.  He  must  w^ait;  and  while  he  waited,  how 
the  moments  lagged ! 

The  wind  had  fallen,  but  the  waves  still  thun- 
dered on  the  shore,  and  the  lightning  now  and 
then  raced  along  the  clouds.  Afraid  to  raise  his 
head,  he  could  only  lie  still  and  stare  straight 
above  him  into  the  square  of  mist  and  clouds. 
"With  a  great  throb  of  joy  he  watched  the  gloom 
deepen.  He  had  not  heard  the  sunset  gun  from 
the  station  down  the  beach,  but  the  fog  would 
befriend  him ;  so  when  he  could  no  longer  bear 
the  straitened  position,  he  lifted  his  head  and 
shoulders  and  looked  around.  The  fog  was  every- 
where ;  scarcely  could  he  see  the  tumultuous  waves 
that  shattered  themselves  along  the  sand.  He 
need  wait  no  longer,  no  one  could  see  him  now  ; 
and  painfully  and  carefully  he  finally  drew  his 


162  JOSCELYN  CHESHIRE. 

stiff  limbs  from  under  the  sand.  To  stand  at  full 
length  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  but  he  rolled 
over  and  rubbed  and  stretched  himself  until  the 
cramp  was  relieved.  Then  he  set  himself  to  fill 
in  and  round  up  his  vacated  grave;  for  Peter's 
sake  he  must  do  this,  that  no  suspicion  might  be 
aroused  when  the  funeral  boat  brought  its  next 
cargo  ashore.  Swiftly  he  worked,  using  a  piece 
of  the  drift-board  for  a  shovel,  and  crawling  from 
head  to  foot  to  be  sure  that  all  was  right.  His 
heart  was  full  of  gratitude  when  at  last  it  was 
finished,  and,  with  a  sigh  of  relief,  he  threw  the 
board  aside  and  stood  up  straight, —  a  free  man. 

But  at  this  moment  something  came  out  of  the 
fog  from  the  shore  side,  and  as  he  steadied  him- 
self upon  his  feet,  he  found  himself  face  to  face 
with  a  man. 


CHAPTER  XYIL 

OUT   OF   THE    SHADOW    AND    INTO    THE    SUN. 

"  O  God,  it  is  a  fearful  thing 
To  see  the  human  soul  take  wing 
In  any  shape,  in  any  mood." 

—  Byron. 

TT^OIl  one  awful  minute  neither  man  moved ; 
-^  then  the  patrol,  with  the  horror  in  his  face 
as  of  one  who  looks  upon  a  thing  of  another 
world,  gave  a  hoarse  scream  which  was  swallowed 
up  in  the  roar  of  the  sea.  Richard  did  not  know 
what  an  uncanny  sight  he  made  rising  up  from 
that  grave  with  his  hair  unkempt,  his  face  like 
ashes,  and  a  burial  cloth  still  bound  about  his 
jaws.  He  comprehended  only  that  detection 
threatened,  and  detection  meant  death.  With 
one  bound  he  cleared  the  grave  between  them, 
and  grappled  with  the  guard.  Under  other  cir- 
cumstances he  would  have  been  no  match  for  the 
man,  starved  and  weak  as  he  was ;  but  desperation 
—  that  fierce,  mad  desire  to  live  —  gave  him 
strength.  It  was  not  so  much  he  as  that  aroused 
demon  within  him  that  gave  back  the  patrol's 
blows,  struck  the  gun  from  his  hands,  and  finally 
gripped  him  about  the  throat.  Not  a  word 
was  said,  not  a  cry  was  uttered,  as  they  tossed 

163 


164  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

and  swayed  backward  and  forward,  to  the  right 
or  left,  sank  on  one  knee  and  rose  again  to  stagger 
and  struggle  anew.  If  Richard  could  keep  that 
strangling  hold,  the  fight  was  his,  and  with  it  the 
liberty  for  which  he  longed ;  if  the  other  man 
could  break  it,  then  life  would  pay  the  forfeit. 
Doggedly  he  hung  on,  though  his  fingers  strained 
and  his  head  reeled,  while  the  other  beat  him 
about  the  body  and  shoulders  with  blows  that 
began  to  lose  their  force,  for  that  iron  grip  upon 
his  windpipe  was  telling  at  last.  Richard  was 
literally  choking  the  life  out  of  him.  Backward 
he  went  —  backward  —  until  the  muscles  in  his 
chest  swelled,  and  the  joints  of  his  back  and 
shoulders  cracked  —  still  backward,  with  every- 
thing dark  before  him.  Then  suddenl}^  his  knees 
collapsed,  and  he  went  down  to  the  sand  in  a 
shapeless  huddle.  But  even  tlien  Richard  did  not 
let  go  his  hold  ;  deeper,  and  yet  deeper  his  fingers 
sank  into  the  flesh  under  them,  until  not  a  quiver 
was  left  in  the  insensible  limbs.  Then  finally  he 
stood  up  and  looked  upon  his  work. 

God !  he  had  committed  murder. 

For  a  long  minute  he  stood  there,  trembling, 
horror-stricken ;  then  the  self  within  him  cried 
out,  and  he  roused  up  to  thought  and  action. 
That  dead  body  would  tell  its  own  disastrous  tale 
when  the  relief  watch  came  ;  should  he  bury  it 
here  in  his  own  grave  ?  Yes,  that  cheated  sepul- 
chre should  have  its  inmate ;  and  he  reached  for 
the  board.    But  no  ;  there  would  not  be  time ;  it 


Hi 


"For  a  long  minute  he  stood  there,  trembling,  horror- 


stricken. 


OUT    OF   THE    SHADOW    AND    INTO   THE   SUN.      165 

would  take  hours  to  hide  it,  trembling  and  weak 
as  he  was,  something  else  must  be  done,  some- 
thing quick.  Should  he  run  for  the  dunes  and 
leave  it  where  it  lay  ?  If  found  thus,  search 
would  be  made  for  the  slayer;  he  would  be  setting 
the  watch  upon  his  own  track.  He  pressed  his 
hands  helplessly  to  his  temples,  staring  mean- 
while upon  the  horror  there  at  his  feet.  Then 
suddenly  the  explanation  came  :  the  man's  beat 
ended  on  a  rock  that  dropped  sharply  into  the 
water;  he  knew,  for  he  had  noticed  when  he 
came  ashore  before  with  the  funeral  boat.  If  he 
could  throw  the  body  down  there,  it  would  be 
thought  the  man  had  walked  off  in  the  foor  and 
gloom ;  no  suspicion  would  be  aroused,  and  he 
would  be  free  from  pursuit. 

Shivering  at  the  contact,  he  seized  the  body 
and  dragged  it  along  over  the  shells  and  pebbles. 
Once  or  twice  he  lost  his  bearings  in  the  short 
journey,  but  a  rising  wind  blew  out  trailing 
lengths  of  fog  before  him  and,  aided  thus,  in  a 
little  while  he  reached  his  goal.  But  he  could 
not  see  the  body  enter  the  water ;  it  would  be  like 
a  second  murder,  and  so  with  eyes  close  shut  he 
pushed  it  off  and  groaned  in  his  soul  to  hear  the 
splash  that  came  from  below. 

"  God  bear  witness  that  I  did  not  want  his 
blood  upon  my  hands  !  " 

Then  he  looked  away  to  the  dunes  and  took 
one  step  toward  them.  But  the  gun  —  it  lay 
yonder  by  the  graves ;  he  might  as  well  have  left 


166  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

the  body  itself  there.  Hastily  he  returned, 
smoothed  over  the  sand  where  the  struggle  had 
fallen,  and  seizing  the  man's  gun  and  hat,  he  sped 
again  to  the  rock,  placing  them  near  the  ledge, 
that  they  might  seem  to  have  been  dropped  there 
in  an  attempt  at  self-preservation.  Then  he  was 
free  to  go.  Into  the  fog  he  plunged,  making  for 
where  the  sand-dunes  rose;  and  as  he  tottered 
down  into  the  underbrush  beyond,  he  heard  the 
sunset  gun  from  the  station  boom  out  through  the 
mist.  He  had  lived  a  whole  lifetime  in  the  last 
half  hour. 

It  had  been  his  plan  to  cross  the  island  and  seek 
some  means  of  escaping  to  the  Jersey  coast  from 
the  south-side  villages,  but  the  fog  hid  everything, 
and  he  seemed  walking  in  a  circle.  He  was  weak 
from  excitement  and  lack  of  food,  and  after  stum- 
bling blindly  onward  for  a  while,  he  turned  to  the 
left  and  kept  on  a  parallel  with  the  coast,  the  boom 
of  the  surf  being  his  guide ;  but  always  he  kept  the 
sound  far  enough  away  to  avoid  the  sentinels  from 
the  patrol.  The  fog  had  turned  into  a  rain,  cold 
and  depressing,  and  so  after  walking  an  hour  or 
two  he  was  willing  to  risk  something  of  danger 
for  food  and  rest.  He  had  passed  several  houses 
but  had  kept  aloof  through  fear  ;  now,  however, 
he  bent  his  steps  to  a  tiny  light  burning  ahead. 

It  was  a  fisherman's  cottage  close  to  an  inlet 
that  jutted  in  from  the  bay,  and  as  good  fortune 
would  have  it  the  old  man,  detained  by  the  storm, 
was  just  getting  home.    Even  in  the  little  harbour 


OUT  OF  THE  SHADOW  AND  INTO  THE  SUN.   167 

the  swell  was  unusually  strong,  and  the  man  was 
having  much  difficulty  in  beaching  his  boat,  so 
that  Eichard's  aid  was  most  timely. 

"  Who  are  you,  my  friend  ? "  the  fisherman 
asked,  when  everything  was  snug  and  taut. 

"  A  traveller  who  has  lost  his  way." 

The  old  fellow  squinted  his  eyes  for  a  closer 
look.  "  A  traveller  ?  Well,  'tis  enough  ;  we  never 
ask  names,  my  old  woman  and  I,  for  in  such  days 
as  these  a  man's  name  is  ofttimes  his  most  secret 
possession.  We  know  not  the  rights  of  this  war, 
and  so  we  take  no  sides,  but  pray  that  justice  may 
conquer.  Now,  how  can  I  pay  you  for  your 
help?" 

"  By  giving  me  food  and  shelter." 

"  That  will  I,  for  without  you  I  should  have 
lost  my  whole  day's  take  and  that  had  been  a  ter- 
rible mishap.  Fry  an  extra  fish,  mother,"  he 
called  into  the  cottage. 

"  Ay,  two  of  them,  good  mother,  I  pray  you ; 
for  I  am  as  a  ravening  wolf  seeking  what  I  may 
devour,"  Eichard  said,  putting  his  head  in  at 
the  door ;  and  his  voice  was  so  bonny  that  the  old 
woman  filled  the  skillet  with  a  lavish  hand.  And 
in  that  firelit  hut  he  ate  the  first  palatable  meal 
he  had  had  since  Monmouth  day.  Then  he  set 
himself  artfully  to  persuade  the  fisherman  to  take 
him  down  the  Sound  in  his  boat. 

"  Nay,  I  never  go  now,  the  journey  is  too  much 
for  me ;  and  besides  I  must  go  to-morrow  to  the 
camp  to  sell  my  fish.     But   the  soldiers  go  and 


168  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

come  between  here  and  New  York  every  day ;  if 
you  will  come  with  me  to  the  camp,  I  will  get  you 
company." 

But  Richard  evaded  the  invitation.  After  a 
while  the  old  woman  said:  "There  is  Dame  Grant 
who  lives  just  over  the  inlet,  she  goes  down  the 
Sound  day  after  to-morrow  to  see  her  people,  — 
she  hath  recently  heard  that  her  niece  hath  a  new 
baby  (a  fine  girl  w^eighing  ten  pounds  in  its  skin 
and  to  be  named  for  the  dame),  mayhap  you 
could  find  passage  with  her." 

But  again  Richard  shook  his  head,  shudder- 
ing inwardly  at  the  thought  that  the  old  woman 
might  recognize  him  and  be  tempted  by  the  stand- 
ing reward  for  escaped  prisoners  to  give  him 
again  into  captivity.  He  would  find  some  other 
way,  he  said,  and  talked  of  the  fishing  in  the 
Sound.  When  the  old  man's  pipe  was  smoked 
out  they  w^ent  to  bed,  and  in  spite  of  that  haunt- 
ing scene  beside  the  wind-swept  graves,  Richard 
slept  profoundly  through  the  night  hours.  Wak- 
ing before  the  old  couple  in  the  gray  morning,  he 
crept  down  from  the  loft,  and  raking  together  the 
coals  upon  the  hearth,  he  breakfasted  on  the 
remains  of  last  night's  supper,  then  stole  out  into 
the  wet  and  sombre  world. 

How  sweet  it  was  to  breathe  the  early  air  and 
feel  the  earth  beneath  his  feet,  and  have  the  weeds 
and  underbrush  rap  him  about  the  knees  as  he 
pushed  away  to  the  interior!  The  fisherman's 
hut  was  a  league  behind  him  when   he  saw  the 


OUT   OF   THE   SHADOW   AND    INTO   THE    SUN.      169 

east  redden  with  the  rising  sun,  for  the  besom  of 
the  storm  had  swept  the  heavens  clear.  What  a 
wonderful  light  threaded  the  woods  and  glorified 
the  tree-tops,  sparkling  and  changing  with  every 
motion  of  the  boughs !  Often  he  had  seen  it 
among  his  native  Carolina  hills,  this  opaline  open- 
ing of  the  morn,  but  never  before  with  such  a 
thrill   of  appreciation,  such   a  rush   of   exquisite 

joy- 

"  Good  morning,  Joscelyn ;  I  am  a  free  man 
to-day."  And  he  bowed  as  though  he  had  been 
in  a  ball-room,  and  picking  a  bit  of  blossom  that 
nodded  at  him,  he  stuck  it  jauntily  in  his  ragged 
coat. 

If  it  had  not  been  for  that  dead  face  playing 
hide-and-seek  always  among  the  bushes  about  him, 
he  could  have  whistled  as  he  walked.  Now  and 
then  he  sighted  houses  and  cultivated  fields,  but 
he  kept  to  the  woods  ;  not  until  he  reached  the 
sea  on  the  other  side  of  the  island  would  he  ven- 
ture to  show  his  face  at  a  door.  There  were  wild 
grapes  in  the  thickets  and  sweet  beach  mass  to 
eat ;  and  a  little  past  noon  he  found  a  late  melon 
in  the  weeds  of  a  fence  corner,  and  feasted  like  a 
lord. 

But  half  a  mile  farther  on,  his  pleasure  was  for- 
gotten in  a  keen  excitement,  for  from  a  slight 
eminence,  he  saw  the  plain  stretching  to  the  right 
and  left  white  with  the  tents  of  soldiery ;  and  not 
ten  paces  from  him  a  sentinel,  with  his  back  this 
way,  sat  on  a  fallen  tree  and  read  a  letter.     A  few 


170  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

more  steps,  and  he  would  have  been  in  the  hor- 
nets' nest,  —  a  helpless  captive.  Instantly  he 
dropped  upon  his  knees,  and  crawled  into  the 
brush  as  stealthily  as  a  creature  of  the  jungle. 
He  had  evidently  come  too  far  west  in  his  flight, 
for  this  was  a  part  of  Clinton's  army,  quartered 
here  within  easy  reach  of  New  Tork.  Far  away 
to  either  side  the  tents  reached,  dotting  the  whole 
expanse  of  country.  To  turn  either  wing  looked 
like  an  impossibility ;  it  would  take  him  days  to 
skirt  those  picket  posts  to  the  east;  and  on  the 
west,  he  knew  from  what  the  fisherman  had  said 
that  they  must  reach  even  to  the  hamlet  whence 
the  boats  went  daily  to  New  York.  To  take  that 
route  meant  a  sure  and  swift  destruction,  since  he 
would  be  thrusting  himself  into  the  very  toils  he 
longed  to  avoid.  His  one  chance  seemed  to  be  a 
retreat  the  way  he  came,  and  then  to  beat  his  way 
to  the  northeast  along  the  coast  of  the  Sound,  and 
get  over  to  the  Connecticut  side  on  some  fishing- 
boat.  He  would  be  weeks  —  perhaps  months  — 
longer  in  reaching  Washington  or  home,  but  bet- 
ter that  a  thousand  times  than  certain  capture. 
He  reasoned  it  all  out  carefully,  lying  under  the 
thicket,  and  then  lingered  a  few  minutes  to  envy 
the  unconscious  sentinel  his  letter,  for  of  course  it 
was  from  home.  How  long  it  had  been  since  he 
had  heard  aught  of  his  loved  ones  —  three  weary 
months ! 

Downcast  and  disheartened,  he  returned  along 
his  own  trail,  and  in  the  early  twilight  heard  the 


A 

OUT   OF   THE    SHADOW    AND    INTO    THE    SUN.      171 

boom  of  the  surf  ahead  of  him.  But  he  had 
missed  his  wav  somewiiat,  and  came  out  of  the 
brush  on  the  side  of  the  inlet  across  from  the 
fisherman's  hut.  He  found  he  would  have  to 
walk  an  extra  mile  or  two  to  get  back  to  that 
shelter  for  the  night.  He  sighed  and  turned,  but 
just  at  that  moment  there  flashed  upon  his  sight 
a  light  from  a  window  some  fifty  yards  down  the 
inlet,  and  on  the  same  side  with  himself. 

Stay ;  this  was  Dame  Grant's  hut,  and  she  went 
to-morrow  to  the  Jersey  shore  to  visit  her  kin. 

He  did  not  go  back  around  the  head  of  the 
cove,  but  turned  instead  into  the  field  before  this 
other  hut,  whose  friendly  light  was  winking  at 
him  through  the  dusk.  His  resolution  was  taken, 
for  good  or  ill. 

Evidently  the  dame  had  company,  for  there 
was  the  sound  of  voices  and  laughter  on  the 
water  front  of  the  little  house  ;  and  Richard  stood 
still  with  a  tingling  sense  of  pleasure,  —  it  had  been 
so  long  since  he  had  heard  people  laugh  joyously 
and  heartily,  that  the  sound  came  like  the  echo  of 
something  loved  but  almost  forgotten.  Between 
a  hayrick  and  the  fence  he  finally  lay  down  to 
wait ;  and  while  he  waited  he  slept,  for  when  he 
awoke  the  hut  Avas  silent,  although  the  light  still 
burned  at  the  window.  The  chill  of  autumn  was 
in  the  air,  and  he  shivered  as  he  crossed  the  en- 
closure and  stood  looking  into  the  lighted  room. 
It  was  a  pleasant  scene:  the  two  boys  slept  upon 
a  wooden  bench,  but  the  dame  sat  by  the  table, 


172  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

busy  with  a  piece  of  bright-hued  patchwork,  and 
Richard  took  heart  of  grace  that  she  smiled  as 
she  sewed.  From  his  ragged  boot-leg  he  had 
taken  Colborn's  gold  piece,  and  now  he  used  it  to 
tap  lightly  on  the  small,  diamond-shaped  pane. 
The  dame  looked  up  in  surprise  to  see  a  hatless 
man  at  her  window ;  but  he  smiled  cheerily  and 
beckoned,  holding  the  gold  piece  against  the  glass 
that  she  might  see  it.  For  a  moment  she  looked 
at  him  frowningiy,  then  the  glitter  of  the  gold 
won  her,  and  she  got  up  and  opened  the  door. 

"  What  want  you  at  this  hour  of  the  night  at 
an  honest  woman's  house  ?  " 

"  I  want  an  honest  conversation  with  an  honest 
woman,  therefore  came  I  to  your  door,  knowing 
where  to  find  both.  In  all  true  faith  and  respect 
I  am  here;  so  come,  good  mother,  ask  me  in. 
Without  your  bidding  I  will  not  enter,  for  I  would 
not  wilfully  intrude  upon  the  privacy  of  a  lady." 
He  bowed  low,  clicking  his  heels  as  neatly  as 
though  he  were  her  partner  in  a  minuet. 

"  Go  along  with  your  fine  ways,"  she  said,  but 
she  laughed.     . 

"  No  ways  can  be  too  fine  for  a  lady."  And  he 
took  her  hand  and  kissed  it  with  the  air  of  a  prince, 
clicking  his  heels  again  in  that  military  salute. 

"  You  young  impudence !  leave  go  my  hand  — 
you'll  find  it  heavy  enough  on  your  ear  presently. 
I'll  warrant  you  have  it  in  mind  to  fleece  me  out 
of  something,  so  say  your  say  and  be  done  with 
it,"  but  there  was  no  real  anger  in  her  voice. 


OUT  OF  THE  SHADOW  AND  INTO  THE  SUN.   173 

"  ISTay,  I  am  no  highwayman  nor  money  beggar ; 
for  that  which  you  do  for  me  I  will  pay  you 
well,"  he  answered,  again  holding  up  the  gold 
piece.  "  But  would  you  not  be  more  comfortable 
sitting?"  He  waved  his  hand  toward  the  chair 
she  had  quitted,  and  the  fine  courtesy  of  his  tone 
again  called  forth  her  laugh ;  but  she  took  the 
hint  and,  turning,  bade  him  enter. 

"  Well,  where  do  we  begin  ? "  she  said,  when 
they  were  seated. 

"  My  mother  always  begins  by  asking  a  stranger 
to  have  something  to  eat  —  and  you  have  bonny 
blue  eves  like  hers,"  he  answered,  with  bovish 
audacity,  pushing  back  her  loose  sleeve  and  pat- 
ting the  fat  arm. 

"  'Tis  a  good  place  to  start,"  she  answered,  shov- 
ing him  off ;  and  would  have  called  the  boys  to 
serve  him,  but  he  held  her  back. 

"  I  wish  no  one  but  you  to  hear  what  I  have  to 
say.  You  may  trust  me  —  I  swear  it."  So  she 
opened  the  cupboard  herself  and  brought  out 
plenty  of  cold  food.  Eichard  ate  ravenously, 
praising  everything  (for  in  truth  it  had  a  heavenly 
taste),  and  telling  her  how  blue  her  eyes  were,  and 
how  pretty  her  patchwork  —  just  like  what  his 
own  mother  used  to  make. 

"  A  bit  of  a  quilt  for  a  bairn  just  born,"  she 
said,  and  smoothed  it  with  her  great  hands. 

And  Richard  asked  the  child's  name,  and  said 
it  had  a  sweet  sound,  and  hoped  it  would  have 
blue  eyes  with  a  twinkle  in  them  like  her  own. 


174  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE, 

And  while  he  ate  and  talked   she  watched   him 
narrowly.      He   knew   it,   but   he   did   not  care. ' 
Presently  she  said,  as  one  asserting  a  fact :  — 

"  You  are  from  one  of  the  prison- ships." 

He  nodded,  smiling;  and  his  frankness  evi- 
dently pleased  her,  for  she  nodded  back.  "  That's 
right;  no  use  to  lie  about  it.  I  knew  I  had 
seen  your  face  somewhere.  How  did  you  get 
away  ? " 

"  That  is  the  one  thing  I  cannot  tell  you,  good 
mother,  for  it  would  implicate  the  man  who  helped 
me,  and  not  even  for  your  favour  —  though  God 
knows  I  want  it  bad  enough  —  will  I  betray  my 
friend." 

"  Eight  again ;  hold  fast  to  the  man  wdio  holds 
to  you  ;  I  like  to  see  folk  grateful." 

Then  he  told  her  how  he  wanted  to  go  in  her 
boat  to  the  Jersey  shore,  and  how  it  was  he  hap- 
pened to  know  her  plans.  But  she  shook  her 
head ;  the  risk  was  too  great. 

"  There  will  be  no  risk  at  all.  You  are  so  well 
known  to  the  soldiers  at  the  different  posts  that 
you  will  never  be  questioned.  It  would  be  but 
natural  for  you  to  take  some  one  stronger  than 
your  boys  to  help  you  in  making  so  long  a  voy- 
age. Find  me  but  a  coat  and  hat,  and  no  one 
will  give  me  a  thought,  for  I  know  how  to  hold 
my  tongue  when  occasion  calls." 

But  still  she  refused.  Her  passport  called  but 
for  three,  and  she  "was  not  going  to  run  her  head 
into  a  noose  for  all  his  fine  speeches  and  petting 


OUT   OF   THE    SHADOW    AND    INTO   THE    SUN.      175 

ways  —  for  he  had  squeezed  her  hand  and  patted 
her  gray  hair  while  he  talked. 

He  would  not  listen  to  her  refusal ;  if  she  did 
not  take  him,  he  was  lost.  And  he  got  hold  of 
her  other  hand,  and  in  pathetic  words  described 
to  her  the  agony  he  had  suffered  on  the  vessel ; 
and  then  he  dropped  his  head  on  the  table  and 
almost  sobbed  as  he  told  her  of  Joscelvn  and  his 
yearning  to  see  her. 

"  Oho,  a  sweetheart,  is  it  ? "  asked  the  old 
woman,  with  aroused  interest. 

"  Yes,  as  bonny  a  girl  as  you  ever  set  eyes  upon. 
And  think  you,  good  dame,  of  your  own  young 
days,  of  the  time  when  the  lads  were  at  your  beck 
and  call,  —  for  I  warrant  me  those  blue  ej^es  broke 
many  hearts,  —  would  you  not  have  been  grateful 
if  your  lover  had  been  in  peril  and  some  one  had 
saved  him  for  j^ou  ?  " 

The  dame  chuckled.  "Ay,  ay,  I  had  my 
fling  with  the  lads,  I  did." 

"It  goes  without  the  saying.  And  there  was 
one  among  them  whom  you  loved  ?  "  The  brown 
face  grew  suddenly  very  tender  as  with  the 
shadow  of  a  memory.  "  Then  for  the  sake  of 
him  save  Joscelyn's  sweetheart  for  her." 

But  still  she  shook  her  head,  and  for  a  minute 
Richard  was  in  despair.  Then  he  began  all  over 
again,  adding  the  gold  piece  to  his  argument. 
Thus  for  half  an  hour  the  plea  went  on,  and  just 
as  he  felt  that  he  had  failed,  she  suddenly  nodded 
her  head  decisivelv,  that  softened  light  ao^ain  shin- 
ing  in  her  face. 


176  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

"  One  of  the  boys  shall  bide  at  home,  and  you 
may  go  in  his  stead,  since  you  are  so  set  on  it ; 
but  mind,  you  help  with  the  boat,  and  I  have  the 
gold." 

"  That  and  Joscelyn's  love  shall  be  yours,  you 
dear,  bonny  dame ! "  he  cried  rapturously,  seizing 
her  about  the  shoulders  and  kissing  her  heartily 
on  either  red  cheek. 

"  Get  out !  Of  all  the  lads  I  ever  saw,  you  have 
the  freest  manners."  But  the  shove  she  gave  him 
had  in  it  no  roughness.  He  had  set  her  to  think- 
ing of  her  own  youth  and  of  a  lad  who  had  gone 
to  sea  one  morning,  kissing  his  hand  to  her,  but 
had  never  come  home  again,  though  she  had 
waited  for  him  for  many  a  day  through  shine  of 
sun  and  wail  of  storm.  Through  all  her  life  a 
woman's  first  love  is  a  touchstone  to  her  sym- 
pathy, an  open  sesame  to  her  tenderness ;  neither 
as  maid,  nor  3^et  as  wife,  does  she  ever  quite  for- 
get that  first  sweet  spell  upon  her  heart.  Dame 
Grant  scarcely  saw  the  man  beside  her,  but  for 
sake  of  that  other  lad,  whom  nobody  had  been 
able  to  help  far  back  in  the  years  that  were  dead, 
she  would  save  this  other  girl's  lover. 

In  an  hour  their  preparations  were  made. 
From  the  loft  of  her  hut  the  dame  brought 
down  a  leather  jerkin  and  a  battered  hat,  and 
after  her  scissors  had  gone  over  Richard's  head, 
he  was  metamorphosed  so  that  even  she  herself 
would  scarcely  have  recognized  him. 

"  You'd   be   a  fine   figure  of   a   man   if  those 


OUT  OF  THE  SHADOW  AND  INTO  THE  SUN.   177 

wretches  on  the  ship  had  not  starved  the  shape 
out  of  you." 

"My  mother  always  said  that  in  the  way  of 
beauty  Providence  had  done  more  for  my  legs 
than  for  my  face,"  Richard  laughed. 

"Well,  the  warden  hath  undone  the  job,  for 
thy  breeches  hang  like  a  scarecrow's.  Now  up 
into  the  loft  with  j^ou,  and  find  some  straw 
w^hereon  to  sleep.  'Tis  close  upon  midnight,  and 
we  start  with  the  sun." 

But  Richard  was  too  full  of  joy  and  excitement 
to  sleep  much,  and  so  when  the  dame  and  her 
boys  came  out  the  next  morning,  they  found  him 
sitting  beside  the  boat,  pulling  on  his  boots  after 
a  plunge  into  the  cold  salt  water.  The  feeling 
in  his  breast  was  indescribable  when  at  last,  after 
many  injunctions  to  the  boy  who  was  left,  they 
drew  out  of  the  cove  into  the  open  bay,  in  the 
pearl  and  purple  morning,  and  he  knew  his  jour- 
ney was  begun. 

They  went  somewhat  out  of  their  way  that 
Dame  Grant  might  leave  some  parcels  at  the 
patrol  station,  their  course  taking  them  within  a 
hundred  yards  of  the  three  prison-ships  rocking 
in  the  bay.  At  first  Richard  turned  his  eyes 
away  with  a  sickening  sense  of  pain  and  rage_, 
then  looked  eagerly  to  see  if  be  might  recognize 
Peter  on  the  deck.  Yes,  there  he  was,  near  the 
stern ;  Richard  knew  him  from  his  height  and 
from  the  cap  he  wore,  and  he  had  to  hold  his 
teeth  clenched  to  keep  from  crying  out  to  him. 


178  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

How  dismal  and  condemned  the  three  hulks 
looked,  despite  the  transfiguring  touch  of  the 
morning !  And  over  there  on  the  strand  was  his 
grave,  the  spot  to  which  his  mother's  thoughts 
would  make  many  a  sorrowful  pilgrimage  if  so 
the  news  of  his  death  should  outrun  him  to  the 
Carolina  hills. 

At  the  station  one  of  the  guards  remarked  on 
the  fact  that  the  dame  had  a  new  hand  aboard. 

"  Yes ;  Henry's  stomach's  apt  to  go  back  on 
him  in  rough  weather,  and  at  this  season  o'  the 
year  we  are  like  to  get  into  a  blow  any  time,  so 
I  left  him  and  brought  a  stronger  man.  It  turns 
my  blood  to  see  Henr}^  heaving  and  gagging 
when  he  ought  to  be  shortening  sail." 

"Well,  yon  fellow  hasn't  much  the  look  of  a 
sailor,"  said  the  man,  eying  Richard  suspiciously 
as  he  was  making  awkward  attempts  to  pull  in  a 
flapping  sail. 

"  Oh,  he  isn't  showing  off,  but  he  suits  me  well 
enough,"  the  dame  answered,  with  a  warning  side 
look  at  Hichard,  who  instantly  gave  better  heed 
to  his  task.  Nothing  but  her  coolness  saved  him, 
for  the  guard's  word,  coming  so  suddenly,  had 
made  him  go  very  white. 

Then  a  p^an  of  praise  went  singing  itself 
through  his  heart,  for  the  parcels  were  delivered, 
and  pushing  off  from  shore  the  boat  sailed  out 
of  the  ba}'^  and  turned  her  nose  to  the  west.  Down 
the  narrow  waterway  between  Long  Island  and 
the  city  of  New  York  they  sailed  all  the  morning, 


OUT  OF  THE  SHADOW  AND  INTO  THE  SUN.      179 

stopping  here  and  there  at  signals  from  patrol 
stations  to  show  their  passports.  But  at  none  of 
these  places  were  they  detained  very  long,  fo^ 
Dame  Grant  had  looked  carefully  to  such  mat- 
ters, and  so  noon  found  them  in  a  wide  bay  to  the 
south  of  the  city.  No  misfortune  had  befallen 
Richard,  for  he  had  kept  a  still  tongue  at  every 
stopping  place.  In  the  afternoon  the  breeze 
quickened,  and  they  went  racing  away  before  it 
toward  the  ever  growing  shore-line  ahead,  and  in 
the  gloaming  they  landed  at  a  Httle  hamlet  on  the 
Jersey  side  of  the  bay. 

High  up  on  the  beach  the  boat  was  pulled  and 
tied  to  a  stake,  and  then  while  the  boy  was  gap- 
ing about  him,  Richard  went  back  to  the  boat 
side  and  took  the  dame's  big  hand  in  his :  — 

"You  have  kept  your  contract,  and  the  gold  is 
yours ;  God  bless  you  for  a  good,  true  woman ! " 
he  said,  leaving  the  coin  in  her  palm. 

But  she  thrust  it  back  vigorously:  "Nay,  I 
will  none  of  it;  I  but  put  it  in  the  bargain  to  test 
you.  You  have  paid  me  twofold  by  your  labour 
and  your  good  gratitude.  Tell  your  Joscelyn  that  I 
send  you  to  her  as  a  gift,  and  bid  her  use  you  well." 

Nothing  could  prevail  upon  her  to  touch  the 
coin,  and  so  at  last  Richard  turned  away. 

*'Hist!"  she  said,  holding  him  a  moment,  "'tis 
said  there  is  a  Continental  force  near  Brunswick; 
keep  to  the  southwest." 

"  Thank  you,  and  God  keep  you ! "  And  the 
gathering  shadows  swallowed  him  up. 


180  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

At  that  very  moment,  on  board  the  prison-ship 
Good  Hope,  Eustace  Singleton  was  listening  to 
the  story  of  his  death  from  the  obsequious  war- 
den, and  wondering  how  he  was  to  write  it  to 
Betty. 

And  far  away  in  Hillsboro'  Joscelyn  and  Betty 
were  going  slowly  home  in  bitter  disappointment, 
after  seeing  the  post-rider  distribute  his  few  let- 
ters, and  finding  there  was  nothing  for  them. 
How  many  and  how  long  had  been  the  weeks 
since  thev  wrote  to  Eustace :  for  then  it  was  sum- 
mer-time,  and  now  the  red  and  ochre  tints  of  the 
autumn  flamed  in  the  woodlands.  And  still  Betty 
cried,  and  still  Joscelyn  counselled  patience. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"kiss  me  quick  and  let  me  go." 

"  And  to  his  eye 
There  was  but  one  beloved  face  on  earth, 
And  that  was  shining  on  him." 

TT  was  a  windy  day  in  late  November,  one  of 
-■-  those  rare  days  when  summer,  repenting  of 
her  desertion,  steals  softly  back  to  comfort  the 
earth  with  a  parting  smile.  Out  in  the  brown 
fields  the  birds  pruned  their  wings  in  the  sun  and 
sang  a  few  notes  softly,  as  a  singer  who  recalls 
fitfully  and  doubtfully  a  long  forgotten  tune ;  the 
golden  daisies  by  the  door  still  burnt  like  stars 
late  fallen  from  the  far  firmament;  a  revivified 
butterfly  hovered  languidly  over  the  faded  aster 
beds,  and  venturesome  wasps  sallied  from  their 
castles  under  the  eaves  and  buzzed  droningly 
against  the  window  panes.  It  was  a  day  of 
shifting  shadows,  of  subtle  changes  and  soft 
surprises, 

Joscelyn  and  Betty  sat  over  their  embroidery 
frames  in  the  latter's  parlour,  talking  over  the 
events  of  the  past  two  months  —  the  long  wait 
between  their  letter  to  Eustace  and  his  sorrowful 
reply  ;  the  grief  that  clouded  the  two  houses  for 
four  days  following,  before  they  knew  that  Eich- 

181 


182  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

ard  had  escaped  and  was  not  dead,  and  the  intense 
relief  and  joj  his  short  message  had  brought 
them. 

"  It  was  like  a  hundred  candles  suddenly  brought 
into  a  dark  room,"  Betty  said,  snipping  off  her 
thread.  "  But  do  you  know,  Joscelyn,  that  you 
acted  so  queerly,  scolding  because  you  had  cried 
so  much,  and  cocking  your  head  before  the  mirror 
to  count  the  wrinkles  your  grieving  had  made,  — 
though  for  the  life  of  me  I  could  never  see  one 
of  them,  —  that  I  half  believed  you  were  angry 
that  Richard  had  not  died  in  truth." 

"  You  give  me  credit  for  much  feeling,  I  am 
sure,"  quizzed  Joscelyn.  "  But  in  sooth,  Betty, 
when  a  woman  gets  circles  under  her  eyes,  and 
crow's  feet  at  the  corners  of  her  mouth,  and  a 
dismal  whine  to  her  voice  through  over-mucb 
sighing,  she  likes  to  know  it  has  not  been  all  ir? 
vain.  Wasted  grief  is  like  wasted  sweets  —  use 
less." 

"  I  would  to  heaven  all  grief  were  useless  and 


in  vain." 


Joscelyn  shook  her  head.  "That  would  not 
do ;  for  without  grief  there  would  be  no  pity,  and 
without  pity  there  would  be  no  love,  and  life 
without  love  were  not  worth  the  living." 

"  Love  ?  What  do  you  know  of  love  ? "  Betty 
asked,  looking  up  quickly. 

"  You  vain  little  minx !  do  you  think  Cupid 
wasted  all  his  arrows  on  you  and  Eustace  ? " 

"  N-o  ;  but  Joscelyn  —  " 


"kiss  me  quick  and  let  me  go."  183 

" '  But,  Joscelyn,' "  mimicked  the  other,  still 
laughing ;  "  from  the  doubt  in  your  voice  one 
would  think  you  were  own  daughter  to  that 
biblical  Thomas  whose  faith  was  so  small.  Trust 
me,  Cupid  has  saved  a  shaft  in  his  quiver  for  me." 

"  You  are  such  a  queer  girl,  Joscelyn  ;  one  never 
knows  how  to  take  you.  You  sorrowed  for  Richard 
so  vehemently  at  first  —  do  you  —  can  you  mean 
that  you  care  just  a  little  for  him  ? " 

"  My  dear,  I  was  much  more  in  love  with 
Richard  dead  than  I  am  ever  like  to  be  with 
Richard  alive.  You  see.  Death  is  not  unlike 
charity  :  it  covers  a  multitude  of  faults." 

"  You  heartless  creature ! " 

And  Betty  got  up  and  took  her  frame  to  an- 
other window.  But  she  could  never  stay  angry 
long,  partly  because  of  her  gentle  disposition,  and 
partly  because  she  knew  that  much  of  Joscelyn's 
seeming  heartlessness  was  in  truth  but  mischievous 
banter;  and  so  their  heads  were  close  togethei 
again  very  soon,  while  their  needles  wrought  silken 
poppies  or  blue-eyed  violets  into  the  meshes  oi 
canvas  on  their  frames. 

And  while  they  thus  talked  and  sewed,  a  horse- 
man came  galloping  down  the  streets.  A  great 
commotion  followed  in  his  wake ;  for  he  rode  with 
a  free  rein  and  so  rapidly  withal  that  his  horse's 
hoofs  struck  sparks  from  the  loose  stones  of  the 
street.  Straight  to  Mistress  Clevering's  door  he 
went,  and  springing  down  stayed  not  to  knock  or 
parley,  but  entering  without  ceremony  and  meet- 


184  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

ing  the  astonished  lady  in  the  hall,  hugged  her 
with  a  will. 

"  Why  —  it  is  —  Richard  —  Richard ! " 

Her  voice  was  half  choked  with  giving  back  his 
kisses,  but  it  reached  the  two  girls  in  the  parlour 
who,  startled  at  first  into  silence,  threw  down  their 
needles  and  rushed  headlong  into  the  hall,  and, 
before  they  realized  it,  were  kissed  by  the  new- 
comer in  a  rapturous  greeting, 

Joscelyn's  cheek  burnt  scarlet  under  his  lips,  but 
so  glad  was  she  to  see  him  safe  after  all  their 
anxiety  that  she  submitted  without  protest.  In 
faith,  it  was  over  so  quickly,  there  had  been  no 
time  for  resistance.  Devouring  her  with  his  eyes, 
he  tried  to  retain  her  hand  when  the  ffreetins:  was 
over,  but  after  a  moment  she  slipped  it,  not 
unkindly,  from  his  grasp,  and  presently  when  he 
had  told  them  briefly  of  his  marvellous  escape,  she 
ran  over  to  give  her  mother  the  news  and  to  see 
if  there  was  not  a  piece  of  his  favourite  cake  in  the 
cupboard.  A  warm  tingle  was  in  her  veins,  and 
she  put  her  hand  up  to  the  cheek  he  had  kissed. 
How  pleasant  it  was  to  hear  his  voice  in  the  house. 
If  he  would  only  leave  the  war  alone,  and  —  and 
quit  making  love  to  her,  she  would  be  so  fond  of 
him ;  they  used  to  be  excellent  comrades  before 
these  two  things  came  between  them. 

Thinking  thus,  she  put  a  napkin  over  the  cake 
and  turned  to  leave  the  pantry  ;  but  Richard,  under 
pretext  of  speaking  to  her  mother,  had  followed 
her,  and  now  stood  in  the  door  barring  her  exit. 


"kiss  me  quick  and  let  me  go."         185 

"Joscelyn,  how  good  it  is  to  see  you  again! 
Have  you  thought  of  me  ? " 

"  'Twould  have  been  impossible  not  to  think  of 
you  with  nothing  else  being  talked  of  in  the  house 
these  two  months  past." 

"  But  have  you  missed  me  ?  " 

"  Why,  we  miss  anything  to  which  we  have 
been  accustomed." 

"  And  you  sorrowed  for  me  ? " 

"  Truly,  Richard,  I  should  be  a  most  hard- 
hearted girl  not  to  sorrow  over  such  suffering  as 
has  been  yours." 

"  God  bless  you  ! "  He  was  so  full  of  joy  over 
the  meeting  that  he  did  not  notice  the  lack  of 
love-warmth  in  her  voice,  but  when  he  would  have 
put  his  arm  about  her,  she  pushed  him  off  with 
quiet  decision. 

"Nay,  Richard,  do  not  begin  that.  You  told 
your  mother  just  now  that  you  had  but  three 
hours  to  stay  with  us ;  let  us  not  waste  a  single 
moment  of  the  time  in  a  useless  love-making." 

"  But  you  kissed  me  for  greeting." 

"  Nay,  sir,  'twas  you  kissed  me,"  she  said,  with 
a  shimmer  of  laughter  over  her  face  like  sunlight 
upon  dancing  water. 

"  Listen,  sweetheart,"  he  said,  coming  very  close 
to  her,  his  head  swimming  with  the  soft  intoxica- 
tion of  her  presence  ;  "  we  may  have  but  these 
few  minutes  together,  but  I  want  you  to  know 
that  it  was  the  thought  of  you  that  kept  me  alive 
in  that  vile  prison  and  finally  nerved  me  to  escape. 


186  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

But  for  you,  —  for  the  fierce  longing  to  see  you,  to 
touch  you,  —  I  should  have  stayed  there  and  died 
like  a  rat." 

"  Eustace  did  all  he  could,"  she  broke  in,  '''  but 
our  letter  was  long  in  reaching  him,  for  General 
Clinton  had  sent  him  to  help  repel  the  attack  on 
Rhode  Island,  and  he  did  not  return  to  jS^ew  York 
for  more  than  a  month." 

"I  know,  and  some  day  I  shall  thank  him; 
but  he  could  not  have  effected  my  release  or 
exchange,  only  bought  a  little  favour  from  my 
hard  jailers,  and  I  cared  not  for  that  kind  of 
obligation  from  one  of  his  name.  It  was  you  — 
the  memory  of  your  dear  face  —  that  steeled  my 
nerves  and  broke  my  bonds.  There  is  a  species 
of  numbing  despair  that  comes  upon  a  man  some- 
times over  which  a  great  love  alone  can  triumph." 

She  put  her  hand  upon  his  arm,  for  there  was 
a  pathos  in  his  voice  that  touched  her  deeply ; 
"  Richard,  I  wish  I  loved  you." 

"  And  so  you  shall,  and  do,"  he  cried ;  and  in- 
stantly the  tender  spell  upon  her  was  broken,  for 
in  his  tone  and  manner  was  the  old  arrogance 
and  sureness  that  she  so  much  resented.  He  felt 
the  change,  and  said  pleadingl}^,  "  The  fisher- 
woman  who  rescued  me  said  at  parting,  '  Tell 
your  Joscelyn  to  use  you  well.'  Are  you  so  soon 
forgetting  her  injunction  "i " 

"  ISTay  ;  she  w^as  a  good  woman,  and  I  shall 
pray  for  her." 

"  Love  me  instead  —  'twill  be  truer  gratitude." 


"kiss  me  quick  and  let  me  go."         187 

But  his  mother  and  Mistress  Cheshire  were  in 
the  hall,  and  so  for  answer  Joscelyn  pushed  him 
through  the  door;  and  he  w^ent  out  to  the  older 
women,  munching  a  bit  of  sweet  cake  like  a  boy. 

By  this  time  the  neighbours  were  all  collected 
about  the  door,  eager  to  hear  of  absent  sons  and 
husbands ;  and  he  went  out  to  them  and  answered 
questions,  and  took  messages  and  told  anew  the 
story  of  his  escape,  but  with  such  omissions  of 
names  as  to  throw  no  suspicion  on  Dame  Grant,  if 
so  the  story  found  its  way  back  to  the  north. 

"  And  in  writing  to  Peter,"  he  said  to  Patience 
and  her  mother,  who  were  grief  stricken  at  his 
story,  "  say  only  that  Dick  Clevering  told  you 
where  he  w^as;  he  will  understand,  and  anything 
else  might  arouse  the  w^arden's  suspicions  and 
bring  punishment  upon  him." 

He  thought  they  would  never  have  done  with 
their  inquiries  and  their  bemoan ings,  so  short  was 
his  time  and  so  eager  was  he  for  one  more  word 
with  Joscelyn.     At  last  he  said  :  — 

"And  now,  my  friends,  I  will  carry  as  many 
letters  as  my  pockets  can  hold,  but  they  must 
be  writ  in  short  shift,  for  in  an  hour  I  go  on  my 
journey  and  shall  not  return  this  way  when  once 
I  set  my  face  northward." 

And  so  they  w^ent  away,  —  some  to  prepare 
their  missives,  others  out  of  delicacy,  feeling  his 
own  people  must  have  him  to  themselves. 

"  Tell  us  all  about  your  journey's  purpose, 
Eichard,"  said  Betty, 


188  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

"  No,  sister ;  a  soldier's  mission  is  not  his 
property.  Suffice  it  for  you  to  know  that  another 
man,  Dunn  by  name,  and  I  go  through  the  Caro- 
linas,  perhaps  so  far  south  as  Savannah,  on  busi- 
ness for  the  commander-in-chief.  He  cannot 
weaken  his  present  force  by  detaching  any  num- 
ber of  men  to  aid  the  southerners,  but  he  wants 
to  put  them  on  their  guard  against  the  force 
Clinton  is  sending  by  sea  from  New  York;  and 
also  to  learn  accurately  the  strength  of  the  cause 
in  these  parts. 

"  And  where  is  Master  Dunn  ? " 

"  He  stopped  for  a  few  hours  over  the  Yir- 
ginia  line  to  see  his  wife,  and  I  rode  the  livelong 
night  that  I  might  have  this  glimpse  of  you. 
Methinks  I  should  almost  have  deserted  to  come 
back  for  a  look  at  you  all,  had  I  not  persuaded 
Dunn  to  choose  me  on  this  expedition." 

"  And  where  are  you  to  meet  him  ? " 

"  At  Charlotte,  three  days  hence." 

"When  Eustace  —  when  Master  Singleton," — - 
Betty  corrected  herself,  with  a  vivid  blush,  "  wrote, 
saying  you  were  dead,  mother  and  I  were  like  to 
go  crazy  wdth  grief.  He  wrote  it  kindly,  but  for 
two  days  mother  did  not  leave  her  bed." 

"  And  what  did  Joscelyn  say  ? " 

"  Oh,  Joscelyn  cried  till  her  eyes  were  all  red 
and  puffed,  and  reminded  us  how  you  and  she 
used  to  ride  and  read  and  walk  together  without 
even  so  much  as  a  sharp  word  until  the  war  talk 
came  on.     She  did  much  to  comfort  mother." 


"kiss  me  quick  and  let  me  go."         189 

"  God  bless  her !  But  you  were  not  long  in 
suspense  ? " 

"  No;  but  mother  had  already  prepared  to  have 
a  service  in  your  memory,  and  Janet  and  Patience 
had  practised  the  hymns." 

"  Well,  there  was  at  least  a  grave  to  sing  over," 
laughed  Richard  ;  but  his  mother  was  crying,  even 
to  think  of  those  sad  hours. 

"  How  thin  you  are ! "  she  said,  feeling  his  arms 
tenderly. 

"  Well,  mother,  when  a  man  has  been  in  his 
grave,  'tis  not  to  be  expected  that  he  will  look  like 
one  of  the  fatted  kine.  But  I  am  plump  as  a  rosy 
Cupid  compared  with  what  I  have  been ;  and  this 
reminds  me  that  I  am  hungry  for  some  of  your 
good  cooking ;  do  you  and  Betty  get  me  up  a  bit 
of  dinner  while  I  look  to  my  horse." 

But  he  knew  his  horse  had  been  cared  for,  and 
instead  of  the  stable,  it  was  Joscelyn's  door  he 
sought. 

"  I  have  but  a  little  while  left,"  he  said ;  "  come 
and  sit  with  us,  that  I  may  not  lose  sight  of  you 
for  one  of  those  blessed  minutes.  I  am  as  a 
thirsty  man  with  the  cup  held  ever  out  of  his 
reach." 

"  I  thought  you  would  wish  to  talk  with  your 
mother  and  sister  alone." 

"  There  is  nothing  I  tell  them  that  I  would  not 
quite  as  willingly  trust  to  you ;  for  though  you 
are  a  Loyalist,  yet  you  are  loyal  to  your  friends," 
he  said,  smiling  at  his  own  pleasantry,  and  she 


190  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

laughed  too.     Long  afterward  those  words  came 
back  to  him  with  a  pang. 

As  they  crossed  the  street  Mistress  Strudwick 
hailed  them  from  the  sidewalk.  "  Hey,  there, 
Eichard  I  you  are  keeping  bad  company  and  will 
fall  under  suspicion,  consorting  with  that  young 
Tory,"  she  cried.  "Are  3'our  despatches  in  the 
pocket  next  to  her?  —  if  so,  beware!" 

"  I  have  them  in  my  heart,  Mistress  Strudwick." 

"Then  in  faith  are  they  already  Joscelyn's," 
laughed  the  old  lady,  teasingly  pinching  the  girl's 
cheek  as  the  two  came  up  to  her. 

"  Come,  Mistress  Strudwick,  Richard  wears  not 
his  heart  on  his  sleeve." 

"But  he  pins  it  instead  upon  yours — which  is 
quite  as  public.  Ah,  Richard,  she  is  a  sad  dare- 
devil!" and  she  went  on  to  tell  him  of  some  of 
the  scenes  of  the  past  months.  He  had  feared 
for  her  from  the  first,  and  in  his  mother's  parlour 
he  caught  her  arm  almost  fiercely  :  — 

"  Are  you  mad  that  you  jeopardize  yourself 
in  this  wav  ?  " 

"Mistress  Strudwick  is  over-alarmed;  I  can 
take  care  of  myself,"  she  answered,  a  trifle  hotly. 

But  he  was  not  satisfied  ;  one  word  brought  on 
another,  and  they  were  nearly  quarrelling  when 
Betty  came  to  say  his  dinner  was  ready. 

"  Joscelyn,"  he  whispered,  with  a  sudden  soften- 
ing of  manner  as  they  went  down  the  hall,  and 
he  took  her  hand  and  laid  in  it  a  shining  gold 
piece,  "  this  is  all  the  gold  I  have  in  the  world ; 


"kiss  me  quick  and  let  me  go."  191 

T-t  was  to  have  paid  the  price  of  my  flight,  but  the 
fisherwoman  would  not  have  it.  Keep  it  for  me 
lill  the  war  is  done  —  I  have  a  special  purpose 
for  it." 

After  dinner  the  neighbours  came  with  their 
letters  and  farewells,  and  he  had  no  further  talk 
alone  with  Joscelyn.  She  bade  him  a  very  gentle 
good-by,  however,  and  ran  across  to  her  own 
balcony  opposite,  while  he  comforted  his  mother 
and  Betty  and  said  farewell  to  the  assembled 
friends.  When  he  was  mounted  and  had  waved 
them  a  last  adieu,  he  made  his  horse  curvet  as 
1  hough  loath  to  start,  and  so  brought  up  close  to 
\ae  rail  of  the  opposite  balcony. 

"  Joscelyn,  keep  the  gold  piece  safe  and  in  some 
J-  allowed  place,  for  when  the  war  is  done  it  shall 
>;e  made  into  our  wedding  ring  —  'tis  for  that  I 
liived  it.     Good-by,  sweetheart." 

And  then  he  was  gone  as  he  had  come,  with 
n  free  rein  and  a  ringing  hoof  beat;  and  the 
ijrowd  behind  broke  into  small  groups  to  discuss 
the  news  he  had  brought,  while  the  girl  leaning 
on  the  veranda  across  the  way,  turned  a  shining 
coin  in  her  hand,  looking  at  it  pensively,  with 
.1  curious  light  in  her  eyes. 


CHAPTEK  XIX. 

THE    WEARING    OF    A    KED    EOSE. 

"  She  gives  thee  a  garland  woven  fair, 
Take  care  I 
It  is  a  fool's-cap  for  thee  to  wear, 
Beware !    Beware  I 
Trust  her  not. 
She's  fooling  thee ! " 

—  Longfellow. 

FMHE  winter  that  followed  was  a  quiet  one  in 
-^  Hillsboro'.  Joscelyn  sewed  at  the  flaming 
poppies  of  her  embroidery  during  the  mornings, 
rode  with  Betty  or  Mary  Singleton  over  the 
commons  in  the  afternoons  when  the  snow  was 
not  too  deep,  and  in  the  evenings  played  crib- 
bage  with  her  mother  or  sang  to  the  sound  of 
her  spinet  in  the  fire-lighted  parlour.  Xow  and 
then  news  of  the  outside  strife  came  over  the 
mountains  or  out  of  the  far  reaches  to  the  north 
and  east ;  but  the  red  wave  of  war  spent  itself 
before  it  reached  the  inland  town.  Washington 
was  jealously  watching  the  British  in  New  York, 
and  in  the  south  the  fate  of  Charleston  was  rapidly 
being  sealed,  while  now  and  then  a  soldier,  coming 
home  on  furlough  or  sick  leave,  brought  tidings/ 
of  the  partisan  warfare,  ceaselessly  waged  through 
the  Oarolinas  and  Georgia  by  Sumter  and  Marion 

192 


THE    WEARING    OF   A    BED    ROSE.  193 

and  other  bold  leaders ;  but  Hillsboro',  upon  the 
Eno,  dozed  through  the  long  winter  months. 

"  This  war  is  worse  than  tiresome ;  it's  perfectly 
hateful,"  Janet  Cameron  said,  twisting  her  yellow 
curls  about  her  fingers  and  pouting  disconsolately  ; 
"  it  is  making  old  maids  of  us  w^hether  the  men 
wish  it  or  not.  Here  I  am,  eighteen  this  coming 
"Whitsuntide,  and  not  a  genuine  suitor  have  I  had." 

"Fie,  Janet!  Where  is  Billy  Bryce?"  asked 
Joscelyn,  in  whose  room  the  two  sat.  "  Billy  has 
loved  you  from  your  pinafore  days." 

"  That  baby  ? "  with  a  scornful  accent. 

"  You  did  not  use  to  think  him  such  a  baby." 

"  Perchance  not ;  for  he  is  a  whole  six  months 
older  than  I,  and  that  is  a  mighty  age !  " 

"  What  manner  of  lover  do  you  want  now  ?  " 

"  Oh,  a  grown  man  —  a  big  strong  fellow  with 
a  will  of  his  own,  who  never  asks  for  a  kiss,  but 
just  takes  it." 

"You  little  minx!  what  know  you  of  kissing 
men-folk  ? " 

"Nothing- — that  is  just  it  —  " 

"Janet!" 

"  —  for  when  Billy  blushes  like  a  peony,  and 
politely  and  decorously  begs  to  kiss  my  cheek,  I 
am  in  duty  bound  to  look  shocked,  and  blush  back, 
and  say  no ;  nothing  else  would  satisfy  my  dig- 
nity, though  I  could  pinch  him  for  it !  That 
is  why  I  call  him  a  baby,"  stoutly  maintained 
the  girl,  her  lips  curling,  and  her  voice  full  of 
mockery. 


194:  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

"  He  does  not  wish  to  forget  his  manners." 

"  To  say  al  ways  '  if  you  please '  for  tender  favours 
is  not  the  manners  for  a  lover." 

"  Since  you  are  so  wise,  tell  me  what  sort  of 
manners  a  lover  should  have." 

"  Oh,  you  know  without  the  telling !  He  ought 
to  be  headstrong  and  masterful  and  a  —  a  bold 
robber  when  it  comes  to  claiming  favours  from  his 
lady ;  and  full  of  mock  repentance  after  the 
theft." 

"  "Well,  when  Billy  comes  from  the  war,  I  shall 
give  him  a  hint  as  to  how  to  mend  his  behaviour." 

"  An  you  did,  I  should  hate  you.  Why,  he  does 
not  even  know  how  to  write  to  a  girl.  Here  is  a 
letter  from  him  in  which  he  sends  his  duty  to  his 
mother — did  you  ever  hear  of  such  idiocy?  A 
love  letter  with  a  message  like  that !  A  love 
letter  should  be  private  and  confidential,  filled 
full  of  such  sweetness  that  one  pair  of  eyes 
alone  should  read  it;  and  he  sends  his  duty  to 
his  mother,  forsooth !  Why,  that  prying  old 
creature  would  insist  upon  reading  every  line 
written  here  if  I  gave  her  the  message  —  and 
Heaven  knows  she  might,  and  be  none  the  wiser, 
for  all  of  sentiment  there  is  in  it  is  this  last 
sentence,  '  I  would  send  you  my  love,  an  I  dared ; 
but  I  would  not  for  the  world  make  you  angry  or 
hurt  your  maidenly  modesty.'  Now  that  is  a 
love  letter  for  vou ! " 

ft/ 

"  Well,  it  is  not  deliriously  passionate,"  admitted 
Joscelyn. 


THE   WEARING    OF   A   RED   ROSE.  195 

"It  is  deliriously  idiotic.  I'd  just  have  him 
understand  that  my  modesty  is  not  quite  so  thin- 
skinned  as  he  imagines." 

Joscelyn  fell  back  in  her  chair,  shrieking  with 
laughter,  while  the  yellow-headed  tempest  before 
the  glass  shook  her  curls,  and  emphasized  her 
words  with  a  scouting  gesture,  "  Why,  Joscelyn, 
if  I  were  that  boy's  great-grandmother,  he  could 
not  treat  me  with  more  deferential  respect." 

"  I  think  it  is  beautiful  in  him." 

"  Beautiful !  "Well,  I  think  it  is  imbecile  !  Hurt 
my  maidenly  modesty,  indeed!  — one  would  think 
my  modesty  were  a  sore  toe  to  be  stubbed  or  trod 
upon.  Stop  laughing,  Joscelyn  Cheshire ;  you  are 
as  stupid  as  Billy."  And  when  Joscelyn  answered 
with  another  silvery  peal,  Janet,  in  high  indigna- 
tion, flung  out  of  the  room  and  down  the  steps,  her 
heels  clattering  as  she  went ;  and  the  next  morn- 
ing her  maid  carried  the  offending  letter  to  Mistress 
Bryce  with  a  sweetly  worded  note,  saying  Billy  had 
no  doubt  made  a  mistake  in  the  address  of  his 
missive.  And  Billy  swore  his  first  oath  when  he 
heard  of  it. 

Nor  was  Janet  the  only  one  who  came  to  con- 
fessional in  Joscelyn's  room.  It  was  there  that 
Betty  found  the  only  outlet  for  her  secret  joy. 
In  spite  of  the  war  and  its  sad  consequences,  the 
year  had  been  such  a  happy  one  —  the  sweetest 
year  she  had  ever  known ;  for  it  had  been  full  of 
dreams  and  fancies,  of  thrills  and  hopes.  Even 
the  self-reproach,  with  which  she  sometimes  tor- 


196  JOSOELYN   CHESHIRE. 

mented  herself  because  of  her  mother,  had  in  it 
a  touch  of  sweetness  since  it  was  linked  with  her 
love.  The  whole  world  was  as  a  new  place ;  the 
winter  snows  held  an  unthought  of  revelation  of 
beauty,  and  each  flower  that  budded  to  the  spring 
sunshine  was  a  fresh  creation  bearing  on  its  pet- 
als an  unspelled  message  of  love.  She  would  not 
write  to  Eustace,  for  that  would  be  undutiful  to 
her  mother ;  but  Joscelyn's  letters  were  filled  with 
tender  messages  for  her,  with  now  and  then  a 
little  wafered  note  that  burnt  her  fingers  with  a 
delicious  sense  of  forbidden  fruit,  and  which  she 
read  and  re-read  in  the  privacy  of  her  white-cur- 
tained room,  trembling  and  flushing  at  the  story 
they  told,  —  the  future  they  painted. 

But  as  the  spring  advanced,  a  shade  of  sadness 
crept  over  her  happiness,  a  fihn  like  the  impalpa- 
ble dust  that  gathers  on  a  fine  picture  hanging 
always  in  the  light.  Eustace  had  ceased  to  write. 
Two  months  had  gone  by,  and  no  word  had  come 
from  him.  A  strange,  new  fear  was  tugging  at 
Betty's  heart. 

"Naught  of  evil  has  befallen  him,  or  Mary 
would  know ;  and  you  said  they  had  no  tidings  ? " 
she  asked  wistfully  one  evening,  as  she  leaned 
against  Joscelyn's  window  and  watched  the 
pale-petalled  stars  blossom  through  the  purple 
gloaming. 

"  I  rode  all  the  way  to  the  Singletons'  yester- 
day afternoon  on  purpose  to  ask,  and  they  know 
nothing." 


THE   WEAKING    OF   A   RED   ROSE.  197 

"  And  his  mother  feels  no  uneasiness  ? " 

"  None.  She  says  Lord  Cornwallis  would  im- 
mediately inform  her  if  he  should  be  killed." 

Betty  heaved  a  deep  sigh  ;  and  then  that  latent 
fear  came  out,  "I  suppose  he  finds  the  ladies  of 
the  city  so  beautiful  and  entertaining  that  he  has 
forgotten  his  —  his  friends  here." 

"  S-o !  that  is  what  makes  you  so  long  of  face 
these  days  ?  Well,  I  do  not  believe  a  word  of  it. 
Eustace  is  no  jilt.  You  will  find  that  you  at  least 
are  remembered,  and  that  his  silence  is  from 
reasonable  cause." 

"  His  cousin,  Ellen  Singleton,  is  such  a  beautiful 
woman  —  you  remember  Richard  told  us  of  her  in 
his  letter  about  the  Philadelphia  fete.  Like  Mary, 
he  said,  only  more  lovely.  They  must  of  neces- 
sity be  much  together,  for  she,  too,  is  in  New 
York." 

"  And  betrothed  to  Major  Grant,  you  jealous 
child." 

"  But  that  need  really  make  no  difference  so  far 
as  Eustace's  admiration  goes.  Besides,  there  must 
be  others  as  lovely." 

"  Of  course ;  but  you  are  pretty,  too,  when 
your  face  is  not  long  and  your  eyes  red  with 
weeping." 

Betty  went  home  comforted ;  and  that  night, 
when  her  mother  made  some  sharp  remark  about 
the  Singleton  household,  she  plucked  up  courage  to 
say  it  was  scarcely  fair  to  judge  the  whole  family 
adversely  because   of  the  father's  shortcomings. 


198  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

And  then,  scared  at  her  own  temerity,  she  ran 
away  to  her  room,  and  cried  out  her  trouble  to 
that  insensate  and  inanimate  confessor  of  wronged 
or  sorrowing  womanhood,  —  her  pillow. 

■  A  week  later,  Joscelyn,  coming  from  the  Single- 
tons', tied  a  red  ribbon  on  her  shutter  as  a  sign 
that  she  had  news;  and  Betty,  hastening  over, 
soon  learned  of  Clinton's  long  and  tempestuous 
voyage  from  New  York  to  Charleston,  whither 
he  went  to  subdue  that  city.  Eustace  had  been 
badly  hurt  in  the  storm  that  wrecked  so  many  of 
the  transports,  and  had  been  laid  up  in  the  hos- 
pital at  Tybee  Bay  for  weeks,  while  Clinton  went 
on  to  Charleston  to  begin  the  siege. 

So  the  British  had  come  again  to  the  south  to 
teach  the  people  of  that  section  their  duty  to  their 
king,  and  the  quiet  that  had  reigned  at  Hillsboro' 
was  broken  by  the  coming  and  going  of  recruiting 
parties,  and  by  the  vacillating  reports  of  victory  or 
failure  from  the  beleaguered  city. 

But  it  was  not  until  August  that  the  climax 
came.  Then  Gates,  smarting  with  the  defeat  at 
Camden,  halted  the  remnant  of  his  flying  army, 
scarcely  a  thousand  strong,  at  the  town  on  the 
Eno,  to  rest  and  sum  up  the  full  measure  of  the 
disaster  that  had  befallen  him.  During  the  short 
time  that  he  remained,  the  town  was  in  a  ferment. 
The  way  to  the  camp  was  thronged  with  sympa- 
thizers ;  kitchen  chimneys  smoked  with  the  extra 
cooking,  and  in  every  house  was  a  banquet  of  the 
best  that  could  be   had.     Only  in  the  Cheshire 


THE    WEARING   OF   A    RED    ROSE.  199 

house  was  there  no  preparation,  nor  yet  upon  the 
door  was  there  the  blue  and  buff  cockade  that 
marked  the  others.  There  were  not  lacking  those 
who  called  official  attention  to  this  fact,  and  so 
many  comments  and  criticisms  crept  about  among 
the  soldiers  that  a  couple  of  young  officers,  bent 
on  a  frolic  and  thinking  to  teach  this  wilful  Josce- 
lyn  a  needed  lesson,  stopped  upon  her  porch  and 
sent  word  that  they  would  speak  with  her.  And 
presently  she  came  down  to  them,  dressed  fit  to 
dance  in  a  queen's  minuet  in  silver  brocade  over  a 
scarlet  petticoat,  the  round  whiteness  of  her  neck 
and  arms  shining  through  foamy  lace,  a  red  rose 
in  her  powdered  hair,  and  a  black  patch  near  the 
corner  of  her  mouth  giving  a  saucy  emphasis  to 
her  lips.  As  she  stepped  out  of  the  door,  the 
young  fellows  who  had  been  lounging  on  the 
porch  rail  instantly  sprang  up  and  uncovered  at 
the  sight  of  so  much  beauty  and  dignity.  They 
had  thought  to  find  a  country  maid,  mayhap  a 
woman  past  her  youth  ;  and  instead,  this  glowing 
creature  stood  before  them. 

"  What  is  your  pleasure,  gentlemen  ?  "  she  asked  ; 
but  the  stiff  courtesy  of  her  question  was  belied 
by  the  laugh  in  her  ej^es. 

They  exchanged  uneasy  glances,  and  one  took  a 
step  toward  the  porch  exit ;  but  the  other,  who 
was  to  be  spokesman,  summing  up  resolution, 
stammered  and  answered  :  — 

"  We  found  no  cockade  of  the  nation's  colours  on 
your  door,  and  did  but  stop  to  ask  the  reason." 


200  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

"  Your  general  sent  you  ? " 

"  No,  no  ;  we  were  but  passing,  and  came  of  our 
own  accord." 

"  Oh,  a  friendly  visit,  with  no  official  signifi- 
cance? I  pray  you  present  each  other,"  and  she 
courtesied  at  each  name.  "  And  now  let  us  g-o 
into  the  parlour  and  see  what  can  be  done  for 
your  entertainment." 

And  in  the  parlour  she  gave  them  the  best 
chairs,  and  set  herself  with  much  graciousness  of 
manner  to  entertain  them,  plying  them  with  deli- 
cate compliments,  singing  her  Tory  ballads  with 
such  laughing  abandon  that  in  the  same  spirit  of 
fun  they  applauded  her,  thinking  not  a  moment  of 
the  songs,  but  of  the  singer.  Later  on  she  brewed 
them  a  cup  of  tea,  telling  them  it  was  a  love  po- 
tion to  win  a  fair  one's  favour  ;  and  although  they 
began  by  protesting  vehemently,  yet  they  ended 
by  drinking  it,  for  she  first  put  her  own  lips  to 
the  cups,  and  then  dared  them  with  her  eyes. 
After  that  they  would  scarcely  have  hesitated  at 
hemlock.  At  the  end  of  an  hour  she  dismissed 
them,  each  with  a  red  rose  in  his  coat. 

"The  colour  suits  your  handsome  ej'^es,"  she 
said  softly  to  one,  with  a  ravishing  glance,  as  she 
fastened  the  flower  in  place.  And  to  the  other 
she  murmured,  with  downcast  lids  and  a  sweet 
similitude  of  faltering,  "  This  is  for  memory,"  as 
though  for  them  both  this  hour  was  to  be  a  tryst 
for  thought  and  tender  recollection,  and  the  rose 
its  symbol. 


THE    WEARING    OF   A   EED    KOSE.  201 

Neither  of  them  had  the  wish  nor  the  will  to 
tear  the  flower  away  ;  and  so  with  a  certain  crest- 
fallen exhilaration  they  took  their  leave,  riding 
slowly  down  the  street,  swearing  each  other  to 
silence.  But  the  story  got  the  rounds  within  the 
hour,  for  Mistress  Strudwick,  seeing  them  enter 
the  house  and  fearing  some  danger  or  annoyance 
to  Joscelyn,  had  followed  quickly,  and  sat  in  the 
next  room  with  the  door  ajar  during'  the  entire 
interview.  And  she  was  not  slow  in  publishing  it 
abroad,  so  that  the  young  officers  were  twitted 
unmercifully  at  mess  and  headquarters ;  even 
General  Gates,  when  told  of  it,  forgot  for  a 
moment  the  humiliation  of  his  late  defeat,  and 
laughed  long  and  loud.  Under  the  banter  one  of 
the  men  threw  his  rose  away  ;  but  the  other  held 
stoutly  to  his,  meeting  the  raillery  with  the  asser- 
tion that  it  was  a  lady's  favour  and  not  a  king's 
colour  that  he  wore. 

"  It  was  not  kindly  of  you  to  take  such  mean 
advantage  of  them,  Joscelyn,  seeing  how  irresisti- 
ble you  can  make  yourself,  but  it  was  just  the 
cleverest  thing  you  ever  did,"  Janet  cried,  squeez- 
ing Joscelyn's  waist.  "  Mistress  Strudwick  has 
near  had  apoplexy  with  laughter,  and  even  Mis- 
tress Bryce  —  who  hates  you  like  a  double  dose  of 
senna  and  was  the  first  to  call  attention  to  your 
undecorated  door  —  could  not  keep  a  straight  face 
to  hear  how  neatly  you  outwitted  the  young  cox- 
combs. But  really,  my  dear,  you  deserve  no 
great  credit  for  it ;  for  in  that  gown  you  are  fit  to 


202  J08CELYN    CHESHIRE. 

melt  harder  hearts  than  Providence  gave  our  gal- 
lant young  soldiers." 

"  I  do  not  flatter  myself  their  hearts  were 
touched  ;  it  Avas  only  their  vanity  that  melted  like 
wax  in  the  flame  of  my  flattery." 

"  Well,  they  deserved  what  they  got,  — ■  trying 
to  teach  you  behaviour,  indeed  !  " 

The  next  day  the  army,  refreshed  and  rested, 
took  up  its  line  of  march,  passing  directly  in  front 
of  the  Cheshire  homestead.  On  the  veranda,  in 
her  brocade  and  brilliant  petticoat  and  framed  by 
the  riotous  rose  vine,  Joscelyn  sat  and  made  pre- 
tence to  be  very  busy  with  her  flax  wheel ;  but 
from  under  her  drooping  lids  she  saw  the  whole 
procession. 

Beside  his  company  rode  a  young  lieutenant, 
his  eager  gaze  ahead  of  him  until  he  reached  the 
undeco rated  house ;  then  his  hat  came  off,  and 
lifting  his  lapel  on  which  hung  a  faded  red  rose, 
he  cried  up  to  the  girl  in  the  balcony :  — 

"  This  is  for  memory  !  " 

And  Joscelyn  laughed  and  fluttered  her  white 
handkerchief  with  what  might  or  might  not  be 
the  suggestion  of  a  kiss.  And  he,  forgetful  of 
military  decorum,  turned  in  his  saddle  and  kept 
his  gaze  upon  her  until  the  troop  passed  beyond 
the  corner. 

"  Do  you  know,  Joscelyn,"  cried  Janet,  rushing 
up  the  steps,  her  eyes  shining  and  her  yellow  curls 
flying  in  the  wind,  "  that  was  Lieutenant  Wyley 
from  Halifax  —  and  he  is  brother  to  Frederick  — 


THE    WEARING    OF   A    RED    ROSE.  203 

and  Frederick  danced  with  no  one  but  me  last  night 
(you  don't  know  what  you  missed  in  not  going  to 
the  cotillion  ! )  —  and  he  has  been  at  my  house  the 
livelong  morning." 

"  S-o !  You  have  then  a  new  beau  to  your 
string  ? " 

"  Oh,  yes  !  and  he  is  strong  and  masterful,  and 
talks  love  beautifully,  and  he  does  not  say  '  by 
your  leave '  like  Billy,  but  is  just  what  a  lover 
should  be." 

"  Janet,  Janet !  "  cried  Joscelyn,  reprovingly  ; 
but  the  laughing  girl  tossed  her  yellow  curls 
coquettishly,  the  exhilaration  of  a  new  conquest 
upon  her ;  then  suddenly  hid  her  face  on  Joscelyn's 
shoulder :  — 

"  Joscelyn,  dearest,  did  you  ever  feel  a  lover's 
lips  against  your  cheek  for  just  one  little  moment  ? " 

And  Joscelyn  went  suddenly  as  red  as  she,  re- 
membering that  November  day  when  Richard 
came  home. 


CHAPTEK  XX. 

joscelyn's  peeil. 

♦'  First  time  lie  kissed  me,  he  but  only  kissed 
The  fingers  of  this  hand  wherewith  I  write  ; 
And,  ever  since,  it  grew  more  clean  and  white, 
Slow  to  world  greetings,  quick  with  its  '  O  list  1 ' 
When  the  angels  speak." 

—  Mrs.  Browning. 

THUS  the  months  had  come  and  gone,  and 
come  again,  until  three  years  had  passed 
since  Richard's  company  marched  away  that  win- 
ter day  to  join  their  comrades  at  Valley  Forge. 
Three  years  of  warfare,  and  victory  yet  faltered 
to  remain  with  either  standard,  but  wavered  like 
a  fickle  woman  from  side  to  side.  And  Joscelyn 
held  to  her  allegiance,  wearing  her  scarlet  bodice 
in  open  rejoicing  at  news  of  an  English  victory, 
and  decking  herself  in  sombre  mourning  when 
tidings  of  the  American  triumph  at  King's  Moun- 
tain thrilled  the  country  with  an  awakened  hope. 
And  in  these  habiliments  she  walked  the  streets, 
or  sat  upon  her  balcony,  that  none  might  be  in 
doubt  as  to  her  feelings. 

"  Joscelyn  Cheshire  be  as  good  as  a  war  barom- 
eter," said  Mistress  Strudwick  ;  "  one  has  but  to 
look  at  her  to  know   whether  to  rejoice  or  to 


sorrow." 


204 


joscelyn's  pekil.  205 

Yainly  her  mother  argued  with  the  girl,  show- 
ing the  danger  she  ran  of  drawing  upon  them  both 
the  enmity  of  the  community. 

"  We  are  but  two  lone  women,  and  what  could 
we  do  against  a  mob?  You  go  too  far  in  this 
matter,  my  daughter.  An  you  alter  not  your  be- 
haviour, we  shall  be  driven  from  the  town,  or  else 
have  our  house  burned  over  our  heads.  Only 
yesterday  Sally  Ruffin  was  telling  your  Aunt  Clev- 
ering  of  some  threats  she  had  heard  concerning 
you." 

But  Joscelyn  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "  They 
will  not  harm  you,  mother ;  you  are  too  much  of 
their  party  creed.  And  as  for  me,  I  fear  them 
not ;  they  will  do  naught  more  serious  than  to  tear 
down  my  royal  picture-gallery  from  the  porcii, 
and  break  a  few  more  window-panes." 

And  truly  martial  events  were  crowding  so 
fast  upon  each  other  that  the  community  had  no 
time  to  resent  the  caprices  of  a  girl.  All  interest 
was  now  centred  in  the  south.  Greene  had 
superseded  Gates  ;  Cowpens  had  been  fought  and 
Tarleton  sent  in  rout  to  Cornwallis,  who  started  in 
hot  haste  to  chastise  the  victors  and  recover  his 
captured  troopers.  But  Morgan  threw  his  bat- 
talion over  the  Catawba ;  Greene  took  entire  com- 
mand, and  then  begun  that  marvellous  retreat, 
every  step  of  which  was  as  an  American  victory. 
The  pursuit  was  close  behind.  The  whole  country 
held  its  breath  at  the  spectacle  of  two  great  armies 
vying  against  each  other  on  almost  parallel  roads 


206  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

for  the  far-off  fords  of  the  Dan,  Twenty-five, 
even  thirty  miles  a  day  they  tramped  it  over  roads 
deep  in  mire  that  held  them  back  as  with  a  fiend- 
ish purpose.  It  was  a  spectacle  to  stir  one's  blood, 
no  matter  on  which  side  the  sympathies,  —  this 
Titanic  struggle,  this  heroic  race.  The  rear-guard 
of  the  pursued,  and  the  van  of  the  pursuer,  often 
bivouacked  in  sight  of  each  other's  watch-fires. 
Petty  strife  was  at  an  end ;  the  great  principles 
of  war  alone  held  sway,  and  it  were  hard  to  say  in 
which  camp  there  was  more  of  resolute  endeavour. 

The  flooding  rains  detained  Cornwallis  at  the 
Catawba,  and  yet  again  at  the  Yadkin,  giving  the 
Americans  somewhat  of  advantage,  so  that  Jos- 
celyn  Cheshire  said  in  her  mocking  way,  that  the 
"  weather  was  supplying  the  deficiencies  of  nature 
and  making  a  great  general  out  of  Nathaniel 
Greene." 

"  Rather  is  God  aiding  a  righteous  cause,"  Aunt 
Clevering  retorted. 

Hillsboro'  was  in  a  fever  of  excitement  during 
those  days,  knowing  that  somewhere  beyond  the 
mountains  that  skirted  her  on  the  west,  these 
armies,  like  mighty  leviathans,  were  writhing  on 
their  courses.  The  town  lay  almost  in  the  path  of 
both,  and  each  dav  was  full  of  rumours  and  contra- 
dictions.  The  country  people,  both  Whigs  and 
Tories,  crowded  in  to  learn  more  speedily  the 
news.  The  streets  were  thronged  each  day  with 
anxious  men  and  women,  asking  each  other  ques- 
tions and  exchanging  surmises.      And  every  day 


joscelyn's  peeil.  207 

Joscelyn  rode  her  horse  from  the  bridge  that 
spanned  the  Eno  on  the  western  edge  of  the  town 
to  the  clump  of  boulders  called  the  "  Hen  and 
Chickens,"  which  cropped  out  of  a  common  that 
lay  high  to  the  eastward.  And  always  she  wore 
in  her  hat,  with  jaunty  grace,  a  cockade  of  scarlet 
ribbon ;  and  Tories  bowed  low  as  she  passed,  and 
Whigs  scowled  and  shrugged  their  shoulders,  mar- 
velling at  her  daring. 

But  at  last  the  news  came  that  the  race  was 
done ;  Greene  had  crossed  the  Dan  to  the  safety 
of  Virginia,  and  a  union  with  the  reinforcements 
hastily  spared  him  from  the  northern  division, 
and  Cornwallis  was  baffled.  Disappointed,  he 
turned  southward  once  more,  and  one  February 
day  the  vanguard  rode  haughtily  into  Hillsboro', 
and  ere  night  the  sloping  commons,  flanking  the 
town  to  the  east  and  northeast,  were  white  with 
a  tent  city  swarming  with  the  soldiers  of  the 
king. 

In  the  general  excitement  Betty  ran  across  the 
street  and,  twisting  Joscelyn's  apron-string  the 
while,  asked,  "  Do  you  think  Eus  —  that  is,  that 
you  will  have  any  friends  on  Cornwallis's  staff? " 

"  I  am  quite  sure  you  will  have  one,"  answered 
Joscelyn,  with  a  laughing  accent  on  the  second 
pronoun.  "  Mary  is  already  in  the  parlour  wanting 
me  to  go  with  her  and  hunt  him ;  what  message 
shall  I  carry  that  my  welcome  may  be  sure  ?  " 

"  Oh,  none  !  "  hastily  answered  Betty.  Then 
added,  with  a  shy  laugh,  "  Of  course  I  shall  have 


208  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

to  see  him  and  thank  him  for  his  efforts  in  Rich 
ard's  behalf." 

"Methinks  you  will  have  to  go  through  that 
disagreeable  ordeal.  When  I  see  him  I  shall 
casually  mention  that  I  have  asked  you  to  be  here 
at  five  this  afternoon." 

But  Eustace  did  not  wait  so  long  to  hear  Betty's 
thanks.  He  laid  no  stress  on  his  services  save  as 
a  pretext  to. see  her,  and  when  his  duties  at  head- 
quarters were  over  he  boldly  presented  himself  at 
Mistress  Clevering's  door;  and  Betty,  blushing 
and  palpitating,  came  down  to  meet  him ;  and 
seeing  her  thus,  his  heart  surrendered  itself  anew. 
But  her  mother,  following  close  in  her  wake,  gave 
him  no  chance  to  say  the  things  he  longed. 

"We  deeply  appreciate  your  efforts  for  my  son. 
Master  Singleton,"  she  said,  sitting  stiffly  on  the 
extreme  edge  of  her  chair,  as  if  ready  to  rise  on 
the  instant. 

"I  have  called  this  morning,  madam,  not  to 
receive  vour  thanks,  for  I  do  not  deserve  them: 
but  to  say  how  sorry  I  was  not  to  do  more  for 
him  and  for  you,  and  also  to  express  my  sincere 
regrets  over  his  death." 

"  Your  regrets  are  misplaced  ;  my  son  still  lives." 

He  stood  up,  amazed  ;  and  the  lady  also  rose  as 
though  to  bid  him  adieu.  "Still  alive?  You 
astound  me,  madam  ;  I  saw  his  death  record." 

"  He  escaped  instead  of  dying." 

"  It  sounds  like  a  miracle  ;  but  I  am  glad  of  it." 
He  turned  to  Betty,  but  her  mother  had  not  re- 


josceltn's  peril.  209 

sumed  her  seat,  and  so  be,  too,  stood  in  an  awk- 
ward hesitation.  But  the  girl  put  out  her  hands 
with  an  impulsive  gesture,  and  he  gathered  them 
both  close  in  his. 

"It  was  good  of  you  —  so  good  to  go  to  that 
horrible  ship ! " 

"  I  would  have  gone  to  the  ends  of  the  world  to 
serve  you.  Your  simplest  wish  would  be  my  law, 
and  I  would  count  myself  well  paid  with  a  smile 
or  one  gentle  word."  He  had  forgotten  her 
mother  standing  there  like  a  sphinx ;  and  Betty's 
face  went  suddenly  pale,  and  then  as  suddenly 
reddened  and  dimpled,  for  he  bent  down  and 
kissed  each  of  her  hands  lingeringly. 

"  Master  Singleton ! ''  The  harsh  tones  recalled 
him  to  himself.  He  turned  to  the  older  woman. 
"  My  daughter  joins  with  me  in  expressing  our 
gratitude.  Since  your  time  must  be  short,  we  will 
no  longer  detain  you." 

Of  course  he  went,  and  Betty  fled  to  Joscelyn 
for  comfort,  for  her  mother  had  said  sternly  :  — 

"We  have  done  our  duty,  let  the  matter  end 
here ;  and  let  me  say  furthermore,  that  to  be  grate- 
ful one  need  not  blush  and  dimple  while  an  arch- 
enemy of  the  country  kisses  one's  hand." 

And  Betty  had  almost  choked  with  confusion, 
and  while  crossing  the  street  had  looked  at  her 
hands  with  a  sense  of  tenderness  that  w^as  new. 

"  Oh,  Joscelyn,  I  am  so  miserable  and  yet  so 
happy  ! "  And  Joscelyn  told  her  all  the  sweet 
things  Eustace  had  said  about  her  at  the  camp, 


210  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

and  sent  her  home  as  red  and  tremulous  as  a  rose 
in  the  sun. 

There  was  joy  among  the  Loyalists  over  the 
coming  of  the  Eedcoats,  and  consternation  among 
those  whose  relatives  were  with  Greene.  Corn- 
wallis  established  his  headquarters  at  the  inn  on 
King  Street,  using  the  one-roomed  building  oppo- 
site as  his  office.  Here  he  set  up  the  royal  stand- 
ard, and  issued  a  proclamation  to  the  Tories  of  the 
vicinity  to  come  to  his  aid.  He  looked  for  a  gen- 
eral up-rising  in  his  favour,  but  he  looked  in  vain. 
The  country  folk  rode  into  town  to  learn  the 
latest  news,  or  brought  their  wives  and  daughters 
to  the  commander's  levees ;  but  most  of  them  rode 
home  again,  unconvinced  of  the  permanency  of 
his  lordship's  dominion. 

Joscelyn  watched  them  wrathfuUy  as  they  took 
their  departures,  and  strove  by  the  courtesy  of 
her  own  manner  to  atone  for  their  lack  of  loyalty. 
Her  house  became  at  once  the  social  rendezvous 
of  the  newcomers,  and  few  hours  of  the  day  went 
by  without  a  summons  upon  her  knocker.  Often 
she  was  in  the  cavalcade  that  drew  rein  before 
the  general's  office  after  a  ride  of  inspection 
through  the  camp;  for  with  the  army  were  several 
Loyalist  ladies  who  had  fled  from  their  homes  to 
their  husbands  when  Greene  began  his  retreat, 
and  with  the  Tory  women  of  tlie  neighbourhood 
they  made  a  goodly  company.  Mistress  Clever- 
ing  was  filled  with  rage  when,  from  behind  her 
closed  shutters,  she  saw  the  scarlet-coated  officers 


joscelyn's  peril.  211 

alight  at  Joscelyn's  door.  Mary  Singleton  was 
somewhat  chary  of  her  favours,  fearing  the  public 
resentment  when  the  British  should  have  with- 
drawn. But  Joscelyn  took  heed  of  no  such  con- 
sideration, and  was  withal  so  charming  and  so 
cordial  that  Lord  Cornwallis,  recalling  his  friend- 
ship for  her  father,  unbent  from  his  customary 
reserve,  and  exhibited  in  her  parlour  a  courtesy  of 
bearing  which  was  of  a  piece  with  the  humanity  he 
showed  upon  his  campaigns.  Among  the  younger 
officers  the  "  Royalist  Rose,"  as  they  styled  her, 
became  a  favourite  ere  the  second  sun  went 
down  upon  their  coming ;  so  there  was  ever  an 
escort  waiting  at  her  door  when  the  staff  rode 
forth  to  the  outlying  camp. 

And  oftener  than  any  one  else  this  escort  was 
Captain  Barry,  of  the  second  legion.  It  was  he 
who  stood  at  the  door  of  the  general's  headquar- 
ters Avhen,  on  that  first  day,  Mary  and  Joscelyn 
arrived  to  make  inquiry  for  Eustace,  and  snatch- 
ing off  his  hat  he  came  out  to  receive  them,  for 
they  made  a  very  charming  picture  as  they 
advanced  modestly  toward  the  entrance,  piloted 
by  an  orderly.  The  first  smile  from  Joscelyn's 
blue  eyes  did  the  whole  thing  for  him.  He  sur- 
rendered at  once,  without  one  effort  at  self-de- 
fence ;  and  when  he  and  Eustace  reached  her 
veranda,  having  escorted  the  girls  home,  there 
was  not  so  much  as  one  poor  little  pennant  left 
fluttering  over  the  ramparts  of  his  heart.  From 
that  hour   his  comrades,   when    he  was  wanted, 


212  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

knew  in  whose  parlour  to  seek  him,  and  he  never 
failed  to  let  Joscelyn  know  when  there  was  a 
pleasure  ride  or  a  tour  of  inspection  planned  for 
the  day. 

It  was  for  an  excursion  of  this  sort  that  Josce- 
lyn dressed  herself  with  exceeding  care  one  after- 
noon and,  with  an  officer  at  either  bridle-rein, 
went  out  to  see  the  army  parade  for  tlie  com- 
mander's inspection.  The  conversation  as  they 
paced  along  was  all  of  the  movements  of  a  sus- 
pected spy  from  Greene's  host  beyond  the  Dan. 

"  We  cannot  locate  the  fellow ;  but  certain  it 
is,  the  doings  of  our  army  are  reported  accurately 
to  the  insurrectionists.  Yesterday  a  letter  was 
discovered  in  a  hollow  stump  on  the  mountain 
side,  left  there,  of  course,  by  preconcerted  ar- 
rangement to  be  called  for.  The  stump  is  being 
secretly  watched,  but  as  yet  no  results  have  been 
obtained.  This  is  all  well  known  and  talked 
about.  Mistress  Joscelyn,  and  you,  being  one  of 
us  — "  Barry's  smile  said  the  rest. 

"  Is  it  a  townsman  who  has  written  these 
reports,  think  3^ou  ? "  asked  the  girl,  going  over 
in  her  mind  the  people  who  might  be  implicated, 
with  a  quick  inward  throb  for  some  of  her  friends. 

"  I  judge  not,  for  there  are  references  to  the 
writer's  journey  back  from  the  Dan.  Evidently 
it  is  a  follower  of  Greene  who  knows  this  coun- 
try well.  He  is  exceedingly  artful,  but  his  cap- 
ture is  necessarily  certain,  with  all  the  precautions 
we  have  taken." 


joscelyn's  peril.  213 

"  And  what  would  be  his  fate,  if  caught  ? " 

"  A  spy  is  shot  —  or  ma^^hap  his  lordship  will 
hang  him  on  the  hill  yonder,  where  they  tell  me 
Governor  Tryon  swung  up  the  traitorous  Regula- 
tors in  years  gone  by.  'Twould  be  but  another 
chapter  in  the  red  history  of  this  your  Tyburn 
Hill." 

The  young  soldier  laughed  at  his  own  allusion, 
but  Joscelyn  shuddered ;  for  the  first  time  she 
seemed  to  fully  realize  the  grim  actualities  of  war. 
Iler  companions  chatted  on  gayly,  and  finally  she 
forced  herself  to  join  in  the  conversation ;  but 
somehow  they  could  not  get  away  from  the 
subject  of  those  surreptitious  reports  and  their 
author. 

The  wide  upland  common  had  been  turned  into 
a  parade  ground,  and  was  full  of  soldiers  marching 
and  counter-marchino:.  The  e^eneral  and  his  staff 
were  already  afield  and  saluted  the  newcomers 
as  they  passed  on  to  the  "lien  and  Chickens," 
about  which  a  party  of  spectators,  chiefly  ladies, 
were  already  congregated.  Here  the  officers  left 
Joscelyn  with  some  friends,  and  rode  away  to 
their  different  commands.  It  was  some  time 
before  the  parade  began,  and  in  the  interim  there 
was  much  laughing  and  talking  around  the  rough 
boulders.  And  here  again  Joscelyn  heard  of 
the  wary  scout. 

"Who  are  those  men  there  to  the  left?"  she 
asked,  by  way  of  changing  the  conversation,  and 
pointed  to  five  or  six  men  in  citizen's  dress  who 


214  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

were  grouped  apart  by  themselves.  Some  were 
mounted ;  some  on  foot. 

"  Oh,  those  are  the  Tory  recruits  who  came  in 
this  morning.  They  have  not  yet  been  assigned 
to  their  respective  commands,  and  so  are  viewing 
the  scene  merely  as  spectators;  to-morrow  they 
Avill  be  put  in  the  ranks.  The  tall  one  on  the 
right  was  with  Pyle  when  Lee  surprised  and 
routed  him.  I  understand  he  says  information 
of  Pj^le's  movements  was  sent  to  Lee  by  some  one 
within  the  town  here  —  probably  a  Continental 
spy." 

There  was  more  to  tell ;  but  the  parade  was 
beginning  and  the  conversation  ended,  much  to 
Joscelvn's  relief.  It  somehow  unstruno:  her  nerves 
to  think  of  another  hanging  up  on  Regulators' 
Hill.  From  her  saddle  she  watched  the  scarlet 
companies  advance,  wheel,  pass  directly  in  front 
of  the  general's  staff,  and  finally  take  position 
in  the  long  line  which  was  thus  formed  across 
the  field.  It  was  a  stirring  sight,  and  her  fingers 
relaxed  their  hold  on  the  rein  as  she  leaned  for- 
ward to  w^atch  every  movement.  Suddenly  a 
band  stationed  near  the  group  struck  up  a  lively 
air.  The  unexpected  blare  of  the  trumpets  startled 
Joscelyn's  horse;  an  upward  toss  of  his  head 
shook  the  rein  from  her  inert  hand,  and  then 
with  the  panic  of  fear  upon  him  he  wheeled 
about  and  dashed  off  at  a  mad  pace.  The 
women  in  the  group  behind  screamed ;  for  the 
rein  was  swinging  about  the  animal's  feet,  and 


joscelyn's  peril.  215 

the  girl  in  the  saddle  was  utterly  at  bis  mercy. 
From  the  first  plunge  Joscelyn  realized  the  peril 
of  her  position ;  for  a  few  seconds  she  clung 
terror  stricken  to  the  horn  of  her  saddle ;  then 
she  shook  her  foot  free  from  the  stirrup  and 
eased  her  knee  from  the  pommel,  for  an  awful 
memory  had  come  to  her.  A  hundred  yards 
ahead,  directly  in  the  path  of  the  frantic  horse, 
was  a  deep  ditch,  ragged  with  rocks;  there  the 
race  must  end  in  death  to  the  horse  —  and  may- 
hap to  the  rider.  Her  one  chance  was  to  leap 
from  the  saddle.  It  took  but  a  second  for  this 
to  flash  through  her  mind  ;  but  even  as  she  turned 
slightly  in  her  saddle,  a  voice  rang  out  sternly 
above  the  braying  horns  and  the  thundering  hoof- 
beats  :  — 

"  Do  not  jump,  on  your  life !  " 

Her  fingers  closed  over  the  saddle  horn  in  spas- 
modic obedience ;  and  then  she  saw  that  the  horse 
was  running  directly  toward  the  group  of  men  in 
civilian  dress  on  the  little  knoll,  and  that  one  of 
them  had  sprung  forward  and  waited  with  uplifted 
arm  the  coming  of  the  runaway.  Even  through 
her  terror  there  came  a  dim  realization  of  the 
death  he  was  courting ;  but  in  another  instant  the 
collision  came.  The  man  was  knocked  aside  by 
the  flying  horse,  but  his  hand  had  caught  the  rein, 
and  half  dragged,  half  running,  he  kept  his  place 
at  the  animal's  head.  Then  his  other  hand,  fum- 
bling uncertainly,  found  the  bit,  and  he  was  master 
of  the  brute.    Almost  upon  the  brink  of  the  yawn- 


216  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

ing  ditch  the  horse  ceased  its  plunges  and  stood 
still,  quivering  through  its  whole  body.  The 
other  men  who  had  followed  now  crowded  about 
with  exclamations  and  inquiries. 

"  Will  you  dismount  ? "  asked  her  rescuer. 

And  then  as  she  stretched  out  her  shaking 
hands  for  his  assistance,  she  saw  his  face  for  the 
first  time.  He  was  deathly  pale,  and  his  hat, 
which  some  one  had  picked  up,  was  drawn  low 
over  his  brow ;  but  the  voice  and  the  eyes  were 
Eichard  Clevering's.  She  would  have  spoken  his 
name  but  for  a  quick  glance  of  warning  from 
under  his  hat  brim.  Then  a  new  sense  of  terror 
swept  over  her;  for,  by  some  swift  and  subtle 
instinct,  it  came  to  her  that  Richard  was  the 
hunted  spy  of  whom  she  had  that  day  heard  so 
much. 


N 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

TRAPPED. 

♦'  You  trust  a  woman  who  puts  forth 
Her  blossoms  thick  as  summer's  ?  " 

—  Mrs.  Browning. 

OT  a  word  was  spoken  as  he  lifted  her  to  the 
ground,  and  when  they  turned  to  walk  back 
to  her  companions,  it  was  the  tall  Loyalist  who 
led  her  horse.  She  listened  as  in  a  daze  to  the 
talk  going  on  around  her,  answering  briefly  the 
questions  of  the  solicitous  group.  But  the  pres- 
ence behind  her  was  the  one  she  felt,  and  yet  she 
dared  not  look  backward  until  they  were  close 
upon  the  company  at  the  boulders ;  then,  lest  she 
seem  ungrateful,  and  also  with  a  definite  purpose 
to  warn  him,  she  turned  to  speak  to  him.  He  was 
not  among  those  who  followed  in  the  rear.  She 
breathed  more  freely,  scarcely  able  to  restrain  a 
cry  of  relief,  for  surely  he  had  escaped ;  and  pres- 
ently she  said  to  the  tall  man  :  — 

"  Methinks  I  thanked  not  your  companion  suffi- 
ciently for  the  service  he  did  me.  Will  you  bear 
him  a  message  of  gratitude  ? " 

"  I  will  speak  with  him  as  soon  as  the  parade  is 
over." 

It  was  best  to  end  the  matter  thus,  than  to  see 

217 


218  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE, 

him  again  face  to  face  ;  for  she  felt  she  dared  not 
trust  her  shaken  nerves  in  another  interview,  lest 
the  warning  she  wished  to  convey  turn  into  a 
betrayal.  He  must  have  realized  his  danger,  and 
gone  at  once. 

Her  escape  was  the  subject  of  much  rejoicing ; 
even  Lord  Cornwallis,  to  whom  an  account  of  the 
accident  was  carried,  sent  his  aide  with  congratu- 
lations, and  Barry  came  back  at  a  lope,  looking 
like  a  ghost  with  anxiety.  She  heard  not  a  half 
of  what  was  said,  her  mind  was  in  such  a  tumult 
of  perplexity  as  to  her  rightful  course  and  of 
anxiety  for  her  Clevering  friends.  Naturally  her 
companions  attributed  her  silence  and  abstraction 
to  her  recent  fright,  and  gave  no  thought  to  it. 
She  was  infinitely  relieved  when  the  parade  was 
over,  and  they  were  once  more  on  the  homeward 
road.  Her  horse  had  recovered  from  his  panic, 
and  was  moving  along  quietly. 

''  If  he  had  to  run  away,  why  could  he  not  have 
given  me  the  chance  to  save  you  ? "  Barry  said, 
Avith  much  chagrin,  longing  to  show  his  devotion 
and  gain  some  hold  upon  her  thoughts. 

"  Perhaps  he  knew  that  with  you  at  hand  he 
would  have  no  chance,"  she  answered  with  a 
forced  smile,  dragging  her  mind  from  the  dread 
that  haunted  it. 

It  was  mid-winter;  the  remnants  of  a  snow- 
storm still  bleached  in  the  sheltered  places  among 
the  fields,  and  whiter  yet  on  the  sloping  sides  of 
the  mountains  behind  which  the  sun  had  just  set, 


TRAPPED.  219 

leaving  them  framed  and  fringed  with  yellow 
fire.  The  river  at  their  base  was  hidden  in  its 
banks  and  could  only  be  guessed  at ;  but  the  nes- 
tling town  had  caught  a  reflection  of  radiance 
from  the  sunset  banners  flying  above  it,  and 
stood  out  like  some  sculptured  bas-relief  against 
the  downward-dropping  hills.  Like  the  fine  col- 
ours in  an  opal,  the  lights  came  and  went,  bright- 
ened and  faded.  Joscelyn's  pulse  had  begun  to 
beat  normally  under  the  spell  of  the  ethereal 
beauty  of  the  scene,  when  suddenly  far  up  the 
mountain  road  her  keen  eyes  descried  a  moving 
figure.  The  trees  were  nude  of  foliage,  and  the 
snow  lying  along  the  winding  road  was  as  a  re- 
flector to  show  up  the  dark  moving  object,  which 
for  a  moment  was  seen  and  then  lost  to  sight 
behind  a  clump  of  cedars.  Was  it  a  cow,  or  a 
man  on  horseback  ?  A  strange  curiosity  took 
hold  of  the  girl;  she  thought  she  alone  saw  it, 
and  all  sorts  of  speculations  were  in  her  mind 
when  her  reverie  was  rudely  broken  by  the  officer 
on  her  right, 

"  Linsey,"  he  said  in  a  whisper  which  Joscelyn's 
straining  ears  caught,  at  the  same  time  lifting 
his  finger  toward  the  mountain ;  "  Linsey,  an  I 
mistake  not,  yonder  goes  our  spy ;  gallop  at 
once  to  Colonel  Tarleton,  and  bid  him  warn  his 
scouts." 

The  aide  touched  his  cap  and  was  gone  ere 
Joscelyn's  startled  breath  came  back. 

"  Why,  you  are  again  all  of  a  tremble,"  Barry 


220  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

said,  leaning  over  to  touch  her  hand,  a  world  of 
anxiety  in  his  eyes. 

"I  —  I  suppose  it  was  the  sound  of  that  other 
horse's  hoofs,"  she  said,  angry  with  herself  for 
her  weakness.  "  You  see  I  am  not  a  soldier  and 
used,  like  you,  to  face  death  every  day." 

"Thank  Heaven  you  are  not,"  he  answered, 
holding  one  rein  of  her  bridle  with  the  joy  of 
a  strong  man  protecting  beautiful  womanhood. 
And  thus  near  to  her  he  whispered  many  tender 
things  in  her  ear,  —  his  tense,  young  voice  vibrant 
with  the  awakened  passion  of  his  heart ;  and  the 
girl's  pulses  stirred  with  a  strange,  sweet  quiver. 

So  it  was  they  rode  home.  There  in  her  own 
room  she  went  over  this  whole  dread  matter,  with 
a  womanish  longing  in  her  heart  to  talk  to  some 
one,  —  to  ask  advice ;  but  her  mother  was  too 
timid,  and  a  glance  at  Aunt  Clevering's  dark  house 
decided  her  that  it  would  be  cruel  to  arouse  anxiety 
there.  Then  Barry's  manly  face  and  frank  eyes 
came  before  her,  and  in  a  sudden  fit  of  foolish 
hysteria,  she  put  her  face  in  her  hands  and  cried. 
If  she  could  only  go  to  Barry !  But  that  would 
have  one  of  two  effects,  —  it  would  either  put  him 
on  Richard's  trail,  or  else  make  him  false  to  his 
cause  by  winning  him  to  shield  the  fugitive.  She 
could  not  risk  either  alternative.  And  what  was 
true  of  Barry  applied  with  equal  force  to  Eustace. 
She  would  not,  if  she  could,  tempt  him,  through 
his  love  for  Betty,  to  do  anything  that  would 
dishonour  him  among  his  fellows.     And  besides, 


TRAPPED.  221 

he  would  not  be  here  to-night  with  the  company 
she  had  invited,  for  he  had  said  he  was  going 
with  the  rehef  guard  to  one  of  the  outposts.  No, 
there  was  no  one  to  counsel  her ;  she  must  think 
and  act  for  herself.  At  first  two  torturing  ques- 
tions tore  her  judgment  in  twain.  The  Spartans 
gave  up  their  nearest  and  dearest  for  the  cause 
of  their  country,  and  should  she  Avithhold  the 
identity  of  this  man  who  had  no  claim  of  blood 
upon  her,  and  who  carried  perhaps  to  the  king's 
enemies  information  that  would  defeat  the  cause  ? 
Should  she  say,  "  I  know  him " ;  or  should  she 
keep  her  peace  and  let  him  go  his  way  ?  Then  she 
realized  that  her  knowledge  was  too  meagre  to  be 
of  any  benefit ;  his  name  was  all  she  could  sur- 
render, and  that  were  nothing  to  his  pursuers,  who 
knew  more  than  she  of  his  work  and  movements. 
And  besides,  there  were  Betty  and  Aunt  Clever- 
ing  and  Eichard  himself.  No,  she  could  not  play 
the  part  of  the  Spartan  ;  she  wanted  to  be  of  use 
to  her  cause,  but  she  was  keeping  back  no  treason- 
able knowledge.  And  with  this  comforting  as- 
surance, she  put  the  matter  aside  and  dressed 
herself  for  the  evening,  lacing  the  brocade  over 
the  brilliant  petticoat  with  a  smile  to  think  what 
Barry  would  say.  Not  for  a  moment  did  she 
believe  Richard  would  be  caught;  he  had  the 
start,  and  he  knew  the  country  much  better  than 
his  pursuers,  and  would  outstrip  them  in  the  race. 

It  was  a  brilliant  company  that  assembled  in 
her  drawing-room  that  night,  —  handsome  women 


222  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

and  splendid  oflBcers,  and  even  Cornwallis  himself, 
—  all  come  to  enjoy  her  hospitality  and  to  inquire 
concerning  her  accident  of  the  afternoon. 

"  Asked  you  the  name  of  this  brave  fellow  who 
saved  you  ? "  inquired  the  commander-in-chief, 
with  a  smile.  "  Methinks  he  should  be  promoted 
for  so  signal  a  service  to  his  Majesty's  loyal 
subject." 

"  Nay,  your  lordship,  I  asked  it  not,"  Joscelyn 
answered  steadily, 

"'Twas  the  fright  made  her  seem  so  ungrate- 
ful," put  in  her  mother. 

"  And  small  wonder.  Mistress  Cheshire,  for 
she  was  in  dire  straits.  But  'tis  of  no  conse- 
quence ;  the  name  can  be  easily  ascertained,  and  I 
shall  myself  make  the  inquiries.  Half  my  staff 
are  mad  with  jealousy  at  his  good  fortune,  and 
methinks  I  myself  envy  him  a  bit  the  sweet 
thanks  he  will  receive.  ISTow  if  Mistress  Jos- 
celyn's  nerves  be  not  too  much  shaken,  we  will 
have  some  music." 

So  the  spinet  was  opened ;  and  the  merriment 
began  and  went  on  far  into  the  night,  while  the 
Cleverings  over  the  way  fretted  behind  their 
closed  doors  in  bitter  resentment  of  Joscelvn's 
conduct. 

"  Why,  she  is  actually  playing  at  cards !  "  cried 
Betty,  who  was  secretly  on  the  lookout,  for  the 
opposite  shutters  had  not  been  closed  nor  the  cur- 
tains drawn,  so  the  inmates  of  the  lighted  room 
were   in   plain   view.      "  Lord   Cornwallis   is  her 


TRAPPED.  223 

partner,  but  that  Captain  Barry  sits  beside  her 
and  whispers  behind  her  cards.  Mary  Singleton 
is  at  the  other  table,  but  I  do  not  see  — "  her 
voice  trailed  off  into  silence,  for  she  never  men- 
tioned Eustace's  name  to  her  mother. 

Meanwhile  Joscelj^n  was  all  unconscious  and 
unmindful  of  this  surveillance  and,  recovering 
from  her  fright,  her  spirits  rose  hourly  until  she 
had  quite  regained  her  accustomed  manner.  It 
was  not  until  something  after  ten  o'clock  that  an 
interruption  befell  their  pleasure-taking.  Then 
suddenly  there  came  the  sound  of  galloping  hoofs 
down  the  stony  street ;  many  voices  shouted  and 
responded,  a  pistol  shot  rang  out,  and  from  some- 
w^here  under  the  darkness  a  guttural  drum  growled 
out  its  warning.  Every  man  in  the  room  was  on 
his  feet  in  an  instant,  and  hands  snatched  for  hats 
and   weapons. 

"  It  is  a  night  surprise !  "  cried  a  dozen  voices  ; 
but  even  at  that  moment  the  door  was  thrown 
open,  and  an  orderly,  bowing  low,  cried  out  to  the 
general  that  the  noise  was  being  made  by  his  own 
men,  who  had  turned  a  spy  back  from  the  moun- 
tains, and  chased  him  into  the  town  where  he  was 
as  a  rat  in  a  trap,  and  must  immediately  be  taken. 
Every  heart  in  the  room  ceased  its  mad  beating 
with  relief  at  this  news  —  every  heart  but  one. 
Joscelyn  could  feel  hers  pounding  against  her 
ribs,  and  involuntarily  she  moved  to  the  window 
and  looked  at  the  dark  house  opposite,  shuddering 
as  she  thought  of  the  grief  so  soon  to  enter  there. 


224  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

In  ten  minutes  the  hue  and  cry  had  swept  down 
the  street,  and  only  faint  echoes  came  back  upon 
the  wind.  The  whole  town  was  astir,  and  Jos- 
celyn's  guests  lingered  a  few  minutes  on  the 
veranda,  questioning  those  who  came  and  went. 

"  Yes,  he  went  straight  down  this  street,  riding 
like  one  possessed,"  said  one  man  to  Barry. 

"  He  has  quit  his  horse,  and  the  guard  have 
captured  it,"  cried  out  a  messenger  a  moment 
later. 

"  Ah,  well ;  then  will  they  soon  have  the  man 
too,  even  though  they  search  every  house,  barn, 
and  hen-coop  in  the  town ;  Colonel  Tarleton 
does  nothing  by  halves,"  laughed  his  lordship. 
"  Come,  Mistress  Cheshire,  let  us  back  to  our 
game ;  ere  we  end  it,  the  fellow  "will  be  in  the 
toils." 

They  went  slowly  back  into  the  house,  Jos- 
celyn  striving  to  steady  her  nerves  by  long,  deep 
breaths ;  but  as  they  drew  their  chairs  again 
about  the  tables,  there  came  from  the  story  above 
a  crash  as  of  breaking  chinaware.  Everybody 
looked  up  expectant,  and  Mistress  Cheshire  rose. 

"  I  will  go,"  cried  Joscelyn,  glad  to  escape,  and 
pushing  her  mother  gently  back  into  her  chair. 
"  'Tis  no  doubt  that  troublesome  cat  again  ;  he 
broke  one  of  my  flower  jars  last  week."  She 
tripped  upstairs,  calling  back  to  his  lordship  to 
deal  and  have  the  hands  ready  for  she  would  be 
absent  only  a  moment. 

In  the  upper  hall  all  was  silence  and  semi-dark- 


TRAPPED.  225 

ness.  She  went  first  to  her  own  room,  pausing 
just  long  enough  to  press  her  hands  hard  upon 
her  temples  before  passing  from  it  to  her  mother's, 
calling  the  cat  the  while  very  softly.  A  fire  of 
logs  burned  in  her  mother's  fireplace,  so  that  she 
wondered  at  the  cold  breath  of  air  that  smote  her 
as  she  entered ;  then  she  started,  —  a  back  window 
was  open  and  the  pot  of  plants  which  had  stood 
upon  the  ledge  lay  shattered  on  the  floor.  A 
swift  annoyance  flashed  upon  her  at  the  maid's 
neglect,  so  that  she  went  forward  and  closed  the 
sash  with  a  spirited  promptness.  Picking  up  a 
bit  of  the  broken  shard,  and  facing  about  from  the 
window  in  search  of  the  cat,  she  suddenly  became 
aware  of  a  man's  figure  in  the  shadowy  corner 
opposite.  Instinctively  she  opened  her  mouth  for 
a  nervous  cry,  but  with  an  imperative  gesture  for 
silence,  he  stepped  forward,  and  even  in  the  dim 
light  she  knew  it  was  Richard  Clevering.  The 
scream  died  upon  her  lips,  and  for  a  moment  the 
objects  in  the  room  spun  before  her. 

"You  —  you?^''  and  even  in  whispering  her 
voice  was  strained  and  shaken. 

"  Yes ;  it  was  this  or  death  —  they  had  run  me 
to  the  wall." 

"But  the  house  is  full  of  British  soldiers  — 
Lord  Cornwallis  and  his  whole  staff  — " 

"  So  much  the  better ;  the  place  will  be  above 
suspicion." 

"  Mistress  Joscelyn,  Mistress  Joscelyn  1 "  cried 
a  dozen  voices  from   below,  while  chairs  were 


226  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

being  pushed  about,  and  some  one  struck  a  few 
notes  on  the  spinet, 

"  And  I  myself,  sir,  am  a  true  Loyalist  and  can- 
not harbour  —  " 

There  was  a  footstep  on  the  stair.  "Mistress 
Joscelyn,  we  be  coming  up  to  help  you  catch  the 
cat ! "  cried  Barry's  voice. 

Richard  sprang  toward  her,  "  My  God,  Jos- 
celyn !  you  will  not  give  me  up  like  that  ? " 

But  the  steps  were  halfway  up  the  stair,  and 
she  was  already  turning  the  knob  of  the  door,  her 
face  like  marble  in  the  leaping  firelight. 


'"MV    GOU,    JOSCKLYN,    VOU    WILL    NOT    GIVB    ME    Uf    LIKE    THAT  1'  " 


CHAPTER  XXII. 


"  SEAECH    MY    LADy's    WAEDROBE." 


"  Sweetheart  ?  not  she  whose  voice  was  music-sweet, 
Whose  face  loaned  language  to  melodious  prayer ; 
Sweetheart  I  called  her.  —  When  did  she  repeat 
Sweet  to  one  hope  or  heart  to  one  despair  ?  " 

—  Cawein. 

rilO  the  man  crouching  behind  the  door  which 
-"-  Joscelyn  had  left  open,  the  minute  it  took 
her  to  traverse  the  hall  and  gain  the  head  of  the 
stairs  at  the  far  end,  seemed  a  lifetime.  Even  in 
his  dire  peril  the  thought  of  a  bygone  day  came 
back  to  him  —  "  loyal,  though  a  Loyalist,"  he  had 
said  of  her,  and  had  believed  it.  "What  a  sweet- 
heart to  have  coddled  in  one's  thoughts  and 
dreamed  of,  waking  and  sleeping,  —  this  girl  who 
w^ould  in  cold  blood  hand  him  over  to  death 
because  of  a  fancied  duty !  Escape  by  the  w^ay 
he  came  was  impossible ;  he  could  onl}'  wait  here 
and  sell  his  life  at  the  highest  price.  Ay,  there 
should  be  left  in  this  room  a  memory  that  would 
exile  her  from  it  forever;  the  blood  that  had  beat 
for  her  and  w^hich  she  had  betraved,  should  redden 
her  floor  and  stain  the  dainty  things  she  loved. 

His   sword   had   been   thrown   away   when   he 
quitted  his  horse,  since  it  cumbered  his  flight ;  but 

227 


228  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

his  pistols  and  dirk  were  still  upon  hira,  and  he 
made  ready  for  their  use.  Then  through  the 
crevice  of  the  hinge,  he  beheld  Joscelyn  as  she 
faced  about  in  the  brighter  light  at  the  head  of 
the  stairs,  and  the  weapon  well-nigh  slipped  from 
his  hand  as  he  saw  her  hold  up  the  bit  of  shard 
she  still  carried,  and  say,  with  a  sraile,  to  those 
below  :  — 

"  'Tis  not  worth  while  vour  coming'.  "What 
need  to  waste  time  on  the  senseless  offender  when 
the  offence  is  beyond  repair?  My  ver}^  last 
flowering  almond  is  a  hopeless  wreck,  and  I  had 
nursed  it  with  such  care !  "  She  ended  with  a 
sigh  and  a  pretty  pout,  and  went  slowly  down  the 
stair  out  of  Richard's  sight ;  but  the  voices  from 
below  reached  him  distinctly,  so  that  he  heard  the 
officers'  condolences  and  her  laughing  replies. 
Great  drops  of  perspiration  broke  out  upon  his 
brow  as  the  joN'ous  truth  dawned  fully  upon  him. 

She  did  not  intend  to  betray  his  presence  in  the 
house  to  the  scarlet-coated  bloodhounds  who 
would  tear  him  limb  from  limb ! 

How  could  he  ever  have  mistrusted  her,  this  one 
woman  whom  he  had  loved  with  the  passion  of  youth 
and  of  manhood  ?  He  sank  to  a  sitting  posture 
upon  the  floor,  propping  himself  against  the  wall, 
for  he  was  desperately  weary  with  the  long,  hard 
chase,  and  this  relief  was  as  the  opening  of  Para- 
dise before  his  aching  eyes.  His  limbs  relaxed ; 
but  his  ears  were  strained  to  catch  every  sound 
that  came  up  the  stairway.     The  game  of  cards 


"search  my  lady's  wardrobe."  229 

had  been  renewed,  and  the  merriment  was  at  its 
height,  when  twenty  minutes  later  there  was  again 
a  commotion  in  the  street  and  a  loud  summons 
at  the  door. 

"May  it  please  your  lordship,"  said  Tarleton's 
voice,  "  the  fellow  hath  give  us  the  slip  and  is  in 
hiding  with  some  of  his  sympathizers.  We  wish  a 
permit  to  search  the  houses  in  this  neighbourhood, 
for  hereabouts  he  must  be,  since  he  was  seen  last 
at  j^onder  corner." 

There  arose  a  perfect  Babel  of  voices,  out  of 
which  Eichard  could  make  nothing  clearly  ;  but 
he  knew  the  permit  was  given,  for  in  a  few 
minutes  Tarleton  opened  the  street-door,  and 
ordered  his  men  to  begin  the  search 'at  the  house 
on  the  lower  corner,  and  proceed  thence  up  the 
street,  missing  no  dwelling.  Every  other  street 
and  alley  in  the  town  had  been  sentinelled,  so  he 
assured  Cornwallis. 

The  soldiers  at  the  door  dispersed,  and  a  breath- 
less silence  filled  the  house.  Eichard  dared  not 
move  lest  his  stiff  joints  pop,  or  his  boots  creak 
and  betray  him.  He  knew  flight  was  impossible ; 
for  there  was  a  stamping  of  horses  in  the  rear 
court,  proving  that  the  house  was  surrounded.  It 
were  wiser  to  wait  and  face  the  fate  that  came  to 
him,  than  go  out  to  meet  it  on  the  way. 

The  minutes  that  followed  seemed  interminable. 
He  felt  that  his  doom  was  sealed,  and  then  there 
came  upon  him  an  overmastering  desire  to  hear 
Joscelyn's  voice  once  more.      Why  did  she  not 


230  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

come  to  him  on  some  feigned  pretext  or  other  ? 
Surely  she  must  know  how  he  suffered !  Death  were 
not  so  hard  to  meet,  if  he  could  but  first  hold 
her  in  his  arms  and  hear  her  say  some  tender  word. 

Then  the  noise  in  the  street  grew  louder,  and 
he  knew  that  the  search  was  drawling  near.  His 
nerves  were  strained  to  tautness,  when  presently 
he  heard  the  party  stop  in  the  street  below,  and  a 
voice  downstairs  cried  out  gayly  :  — 

"  They  be  going  to  call  upon  your  kinsfolk,  the 
Cleverings,  Mistress  Joscelyn.  Let  us  out  to  the 
balcony  and  see  the  fun." 

In  the  confusion  of  scraping  chairs  and  open- 
ing doors,  Richard  got  to  his  feet.  The  cold  and 
weariness  in  his  limbs  were  forgotten  in  anxiety 
for  his  mother.  A-tiptoe  he  crossed  the  room  in 
the  shadow  of  the  furniture  and  gained  Joscelj^n's 
front  window,- — that  window  out  of  which  he  had 
seen  her  lean  in  her  scarlet  bodice  the  day  he 
marched  away  so  long  ago.  It  was  an  easy  thing 
to  hide  himself  in  the  folds  of  the  heavy  curtains 
which  had  been  drawn  for  the  night ;  and  thus 
concealed,  to  watch,  through  a  crescent  slit  in 
the  blind,  the  scene  below,  for  the  veranda  was 
open  with  no  roof  to  intervene. 

It  was  full  moon,  and  the  figures  in  the  street, 
twenty  men-at-arms,  were  plainly  visible.  Three 
of  these  passed  silently  to  the  rear  of  his  mother's 
house,  while  the  others  drew  up  in  line  before  the 
door.  Then  the  leader  smote  the  panels  until  they 
rang  like  a  drum.     Twice  was  the  summons  re- 


"search  my  lady's  wakdeobe."  231 

peated  ere  a  voice  from  an  upper  window  demanded 
what  might  be  the  matter. 

"  Matter  enough  that  I  knock,"  replied  the  man, 
so  insolently  that  Richard's  blood  took  fire,  for 
every  word  could  be  distinctly  heard  from  his 
coign  of  vantage. 

"  Nay,  we  be  but  two  lone  women  in  this  house, 
and  we  open  not  but  to  the  proper  authorities." 

"  Well,  and  we  be  the  authorities,"  answered 
the  man  less  rudely,  for  there  was  that  in  Mistress 
Clevering's  voice  that  brought  him  to  his  senses, 
"We  have  here  an  order  from  the  commander-in- 
chief  to  search  this  house  for  a  rebel  spy.  Open 
the  door  and  read  the  writ  for  yourself." 

The  window  above  was  closed,  and  presently 
the  click  of  the  lock  was  heard,  and  then  the 
door  opened  partially  and  Mistress  Clevering, 
candle  in  hand,  stood  before  them.  Betty  cowered 
behind  like  a  frightened  child. 

"  No  one  is  here  save  my  daughter  and  myself ; 
to  search  the  house  were  wasted  time."  And  in 
her  heart,  Joscelyn  thanked  Heaven  she  could  speak 
thus  truly  ;  but  the  soldier  said  brusquely  :  — 

"  We  have  judged  the  matter  differently  ;  lead 
the  way,  and  see  to  it  that  you  open  every  door. 
We  will  put  up  with  no  deception." 

As  they  passed  into  the  house,  Joscelyn's  voice 
from  over  the  way  cried  out  shrilly,  "  Neglect  not 
to  search  the  closet  by  the  attic  chimney ;  'tis  just 
of  a  size  to  hold  a  man,  and  perchance  contains 
him  whom  you  seek." 


232  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

Mistress  Clevering  turned  angrily  toward  the 
door  as  though  she  would  answ^er,  but  the  sol- 
diers urged  her  on,  and  so  it  was  Betty  who 
called  back :  — 

"  That  is  neighbourly !  Tell  all  you  know 
about  your  best  friends, '  Mistress  Ingrate ;  we 
have  naught  to  fear." 

At  this  Joscelyn  laughed  loudly,  but  to  Richard 
the  laugh  was  more  hysterical  than  mirthful,  like 
one  under  a  great  nervous  strain.  He  felt  his 
hands  involuntarily  groping  for  his  pistols,  as  the 
opposite  liglit  flashed  from  window  to  window 
and  he  knew  his  mother  w^as  being  ordered  about 
by  those  insolent  Redcoats.  The  candle  lingered 
longest  in  the  attic ;  but  at  last  it  descended,  and 
soon  the  disappointed  soldiers  stood  in  the  street 
empty  handed.  Tarleton  was  furious  and  swore 
a  great  oath,  but  the  soldiers  protested  they  had 
overlooked  no  nook  or  corner  where  a  man  might 
conceal  himself. 

"  'Tis  a  bootless  errand,  sir ;  unless,  indeed,  the 
man  be  in  this  house,"  said  Tarleton,  riding  up  to 
Joscelyn's  door.  "  What  say  you,  shall  we  search 
here  also  ? " 

Upstairs  Richard's  heart  stood  still,  while  down 
below  Joscelj'n's  head  swam.  Then  her  laugh 
rippled  out  mockingly. 

"  Truly,  your  lordship,  that  is  a  reflection  upon 
you  and  those  of  your  gallant  ofiicers  who  have 
done  me  the  honour  to  spend  the  evening  under 
my  roof !     I  pray  you,  gentlemen  all,  turn  your 


"search  my  lady's  wakdeobe."  233 

pockets    wrong  side   out   that   Colonel    Tarleton 
may  be  sure  you  have  not  hidden  his  spy." 

"I  jest  not,  mistress,"  answered  Tarleton,  who 
owed  her  a  grudge  in  that  she  had  manifested 
much  personal  dislike  to  himself.  "  What  says 
your  lordship?" 

Cornwallis  started  to  reply,  and  then  hesitated  ; 
whereupon  Joscelyn  broke  in  haughtily  :  — 

"  An  your  lordship  doubts  my  loj'alty,  pray 
let  the  search  proceed  —  the  doors  are  open." 

"  Ay,  search ;  and  fail  not  to  look  in  my  Lady 
Ingrate's  wardrobe  ;  'tis  just  of  a  size  to  hold  a 
man,"  came  with  a  scornful  laugh  from  over  the 
way ;  for  Betty  was  still  at  her  door,  and  the 
street  was  not  so  wide  but  that  the  opposite 
voices  reached  her  clearly. 

"  Of  course,"  said  Joscelyn,  with  the  same 
haughty  dignity ;  "  search  the  wardrobe  b}'-  all 
means  ;  here  are  the  keys."  She  threw  the  bunch 
at  Tarleton's  feet,  calling  to  her  mother  to  do  the 
same,  and  then  walked  into  the  hall,  her  head  up 
and  her  eyes  aglow.  Richard  could  not  see  her, 
and  so  ground  his  teeth  in  an  impotent  rage  that 
she  would  thus  tamely  yield  him  up.  But  the 
next  moment  he  guessed  her  purpose,  realizing 
this  was  her  surest  way  to  avert  suspicion,  and 
he  blessed  her  under  his  breath.  If  the}'^  found 
him,  they  should  never  know  that  she  had  for  a 
moment  connived  at  his  concealment. 

Tarleton  stooped  to  pick  up  the  keys,  but  Corn- 
wallis interposed. 


234  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

"Nay,  sir;  to  search  this  house  would  be  an 
affront  to  so  loyal  a  subject  as  Mistress  Joscelyn. 
Besides,  the  idea  that  the  miscreant  is  hiding  here 
is  preposterous.  He  must  have  seen  us  through 
the  windows,  and  to  enter  would  have  been  to 
rush  into  the  lion's  jaws.  Spies  as  a  rule  are  wise 
men  :  not  the  fools  of  an  army.  Search  the  stable 
if  you  will,  leave  a  guard  in  the  alley ;  but  enter 
not  the  house.  And  now,  Mistress  Cheshire,  I  see 
the  ladies  are  going;  we  will  also  withdraw  after 
returning  thanks  to  you  and  your  daughter  for 
your  charming  hospitality." 

Richard  clutched  at  the  window-frame  to  steady 
himself  as  he  realized  the  present  peril  had  passed. 
What  a  glorious  girl  Joscelyn  was,  for  all  her  Tory- 
ism and  scoffing  ! 

Joscelyn  stood  at  the  door,  courtesying  to  her 
departing  guests,  —  the  picture  of  dainty,  decorous 
hospitality.  As  Tarleton  lifted  his  hat  sullenly, 
she  looked  him  straight  in  the  eyes,  and  said 
graciously  :  — 

"I  will  leave  this  door  unbolted,  that  your  sen- 
try may  come  in  and  warm  himself  by  the  fire  in 
the  rear  room  as  the  night  grows  chilly." 

To  doubt  her  after  that  were  impossible  ;  and  he 
excused  his  former  brusqueness  by  saying  a  sol- 
dier's duty  was  oftentimes  most  displeasing  to 
himself.  She  accepted  the  apology  with  a  smile, 
and  stood  in  the  door  until  thev  all,  even  Barrv, 
who  was  always  tardy  over  his  leave-taking,  had 
gotten  to  horse ;  and  then  with  a  final  good  night, 


"  SEARCH    MY    LADy's    WAEDROBE."  235 

she  shut  them  out.  She  did  not  stop  in  the  hall, 
but  went  straight  on  to  the  stair,  saying  to  her 
mother  as  she  ran  up  :  — 

"  Will  you  see  to  the  lights  down  here,  mother  ? 
I  will  go  up  and  look  after  your  fire." 

This  was  a  reversal  of  the  usual  order  of  things, 
but  her  mother  was  too  used  to  her  caprices  to 
take  any  notice.  In  the  room  above,  Richard  had 
already  replenished  the  fire,  and  was  waiting  for 
her  on  the  rug  with  eager,  outstretched  arms. 

"  Joscelyn  !  "  he  cried  ;  but  she  silenced  him 
with  a  gesture. 

"Quick — off  with  your  boots — mother  must 
not  know  ;  there  will  be  further  inquiry  to-morrow, 
and  for  very  anxiety  she  could  not  keep  the  secret. 
Now,  come."  In  the  hall  she  leaned  over  the 
banister  to  ask  her  mother  to  leave  something  on 
the  table  for  the  sentrv  to  eat ;  and  when  the  old 
lady  was  gone  back  to  the  pantry,  Joscelyn  un- 
locked the  door  of  the  shed-like  attic  at  the  rear 
of  the  hall,  and  giving  Richard  the  lighted  candle 
she  held,  she  pushed  him  in.  "  There  are  plenty 
of  blankets  on  the  shelves  at  the  far  end  —  make 
your  bed  on  a  pile  of  carpet  that  is  behind  the 
cedar  chest." 

"  But,  Joscelyn  —  " 

"  H-u-s-h,  not  so  loud.  As  you  know,  the  attic 
has  no  windows,  so  j^our  candle  cannot  be  seen 
outside.  There  is  mother  —  I  will  come  back  if 
I  can." 

She  was  gone,  and  he  knew  that  she  had  locked 


236  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

the  door  from  without.  Along  with  his  sense  oi 
relief  came  an  exquisite  joy  that  he  was  her  pris- 
oner, that  it  was  she  who  must  minister  to  him, — 
she  to  whom  he  owed  his  life.  It  was  some  min- 
utes before  he  remembered  her  injunction  and  set 
to  work  to  make  himself  comfortable.  He  left 
the  candle  on  the  floor  beside  his  boots  and,  wrap- 
ping himself  in  the  blankets,  found  a  cosey  resting- 
place  behind  the  big  cedar  chest.  What  thoughts 
and  visions  crowded  his  mind  as  he  lay  there  under 
the  spider-hung  rafters  that  dropped  almost  to  his 
head  !  Five  days  before  he  had  quitted  his  com- 
mand —  impelled  by  a  thirsty  desire  to  see 
Joscelyn's  face  —  to  undertake  the  dangerous  mis- 
sion of  his  chief,  and  ascertain  Cornwallis's  actual 
strength.  Unable  to  learn  anything  definite  by 
hearsay,  and  catching  idle  rumours  of  Joscelyn's 
popularity  among  the  English  officers,  the  daring 
design  had  come  to  him  to  play  the  part  of  a 
Loyalist  seeking  enlistment  in  the  British  army, 
trustino:  to  what  little  disguise  he  could  add  to  his 
own  altered  looks  to  shield  him.  Following  out 
this  plan,  and  gaining  at  the  parade  all  the  knowl- 
edge necessary,  he  had  stolen  from  the  field,  and 
would  have  effected  his  escape  had  he  but  taken 
the  longer  bridle-path  around  the  mountain,  rather 
than  the  shorter  one  directly  over  it.  Joscelyn's 
accident  had  delayed  him  somewhat,  and  trusting 
to  his  citizen's  dress,  and  the  preoccupation  of  the 
whole  force  at  the  parade,  he  had  thought  to  be 
beyond  sight  or  pursuit  ere  the  review  was  over. 


"  SEARCH    MY    LADy's    WAEDEOBE."  237 

That  his  reckoning  failed,  has  been  already  shown. 
Tarleton's  henchmen,  set  on  by  Linsey,  had 
headed  him  off  and  driven  him  back  into  the  town. 
Passed  through  the  peril,  and  strong  man  that  he 
was,  he  yet  shuddered  as  he  thought  how  near  to 
death  he  had  been  when  he  leaped  from  his  horse 
at  the  corner  yonder,  and  with  a  fierce  cut  sent  the 
animal  as  a  decoy  down  the  dark  adjacent  street, 
while  he  plunged  into  the  shadowy  alley.  At 
Mistress  Cheshire's  rear  gate  he  had  recognized 
his  bearings,  and  entering  without  hesitation,  he 
had  crossed  the  yard,  and  by  means  of  a  grape- 
trellis  climbed  to  the  roof  of  the  rear  porch.  To 
open  the  window  was  not  difficult,  but  in  enter- 
ing he  had  upset  that  flower  jar  and  betrayed  his 
presence.  He  had  heard  the  talk  and  laughter  as 
he  climbed  up,  and  guessed  who  Joscelyn's  guests 
were ;  but  he  trusted  to  her  mother  to  hide  him. 
How  infinitely  sweeter  it  was  to  know  that,  instead, 
it  was  her  own  hand  that  had  saved  him. 

For  nearly  an  hour  he  lay  thus,  stretched  at  full 
length  upon  the  restful  pallet.  Then,  all  at  once, 
although  he  was  conscious  of  no  sound,  he  felt 
that  she  had  come.  Rising  hastily,  he  met  her  as 
she  slipped  through  the  half-opened  door.  She 
shaded  her  eyes  for  a  moment  to  concentrate  the 
light,  the  candle  was  so  dim  ;  then  crossing  over 
to  the  chest,  she  placed  on  it  a  platter  of  food  and 
a  pitcher  of  milk. 

"  You  must  be  half  famished ; "  and  although 
but  a  whisper,  her   voice   was  studiously  polite. 


238  JOSCELYN    CHESHIKE. 

"  I  have  brought  you  ample  supply ;  for  it  may  be 
late  ere  you  get  your  breakfast  in  the  morning, 
seeing  I  have  to  smuggle  it  to  you." 

Never  had  he  seen  her  so  beautiful.  The  shin- 
ing brocade  set  off  every  curve  of  her  figure ;  under 
the  lace  of  her  bodice  her  bosom  rose  and  fell  with 
suppressed  excitement,  and  her  eyes  were  full  of 
the  starry  lights  he  knew  so  well.  And  yet  there 
was  something  about  her  that  Treld  in  check  the 
fire  that  leaped  through  his  pulses.  For  the  first 
time  as  he  gazed  thus  upon  her,  he  realized  fully 
the  menace  he  had  brought  upon  her. 

"  Joscelyn,  I  should  never  have  come  here." 

"  It  was,  as  you  said,  your  only  chance." 

"  I  should  not  have  taken  that  chance  ;  rather  I 
should  have  died  beside  my  horse  before  bringing 
this  danger  to  you." 

"  Hush  !  they  will  not  harm  me."  Her  head 
went  up  w^ith  a  little  triumphant  fling  as  she  said 
this ;  for  she  w^as  thinking  of  Barry,  and  how,  if 
detection  came,  he  would  surelv  save  her. 

"You  do  not  know  the  penalty  one  pays  for 
harbouring  a  spy ;  I  will  go  this  very  night  and 
free  you  from  this  menace." 

"  i^To,  no,"  was  the  hasty  answer.  "  "We  should 
both  be  undone  —  Tarleton's  men  will  watch  the 
house  all  night.  To-morrow  night  perchance,  or 
the  night  after ;  but  not  to-night.  You  are  safe 
here  for  the  present,  for  his  lordship's  orders  will 
be  obeved." 

He  came  close  to  her,  so  close  that  he  saw  the 


"search  my  lady's  wardrobe."  239 

pallor  of  her  face,  and  the  perfume  of  her  dress 
rose  with  a  sweet  intoxication  to  his  nostrils. 
"  Joscelyn,  is  it  for  love  of  me  that  you  have 
done  this  thing?" 

"No." 

"  For  what,  then  ? " 

"For  sake  of  our  old  comradeship  and  for 
Betty.  Besides,  you  saved  my  life  this  after- 
noon—  a  return  of  favours  leaves  no  burden  of 
obligation  on  either  of  us." 

"  Nay  ;  you  risk  more  for  me  than  I  did  for  you." 

She  shrugged  her  shoulders.  "The  accounts 
balance."  Then  glancing  about  solicitously,  she 
added,  "  I  would  I  could  make  you  more  comfort- 
able, but  our  first  care  must  be  to  avert  suspicion. 
Good  night." 

She  was  moving  to  the  door,  but  he  caught  her 
wrists  just  below  the  hanging  lace  of  her  sleeve ; 
and  holding  her  thus,  he  told  her  in  a  few  graphic 
sentences  all  his  thoughts  as  he  had  rested  under 
the  rafters  behind  the  chest  —  the  reason  and  the 
history  of  his  scouting  venture,  the  mental  trysts 
he  had  held  with  her  so  often.  All  the  intensity 
of  his  strong  nature  went  into  that  appeal ;  it 
seemed  as  if  a  heart  of  ice  must  have  melted  in  it ; 
and  for  a  moment  her  head  did  droop  and  her 
hands  tremble,  then  she  shrugged  her  gleaming 
shoulders  again,  saying  :  — 

"  It  had  certainly  been  more  soldier-like  to  have 
come  for  love  of  your  cause,  rather  than  for  sake 
of  a  girl's  eyes." 


240  joscELYisr  Cheshire. 

"  For  sake  of  both  did  I  come." 

"A  spy—" 

But  she  got  no  further ;  something  in  her  tone 
stung  him  to  the  quick.  "  You  need  not  speak 
so  disparagingly.  A  spy's  work  may  not  be  pleas- 
ant, but  it  is  absolutely  necessary.  Without  the 
information  he  sends  his  general,  false  steps  might 
be  taken  and  hundreds  of  lives  needlessly  sacri- 
ficed. A  spy  has  a  humane  as  well  as  a  danger- 
ous mission." 

"  'Tis  well  you  think  so  highly  of  your  calling. 
Good  night  again," 

"  Joscelyn,  do  not  leave  me  thus ;  this  day  we 
have  each  looked  into  the  eyes  of  death — let  us 
at  least  part  as  friends." 

She  turned  back,  her  face  dimpling  with  a  smile 
that  was  like  a  gleam  of  sunshine,  "  Good  night, 
Eichard,  and  a  safe  awakening." 

Then  she  was  gone;  and  he  threw  himself  down 
to  sleep  the  sleep  of  utter  weariness. 

Joscelyn  sat  on  the  rug  before  her  almost 
burned-out  fire,  trying  to  disengage  the  attic  key 
from  the  big  bunch  her  mother  habitually  wore 
at  her  belt,  and  thinking  rapidly  of  the  events  of 
the  day.  She  knew  that  the  end  had  not  been 
reached,  but  she  was  determined  to  brave  it  out ; 
there  was  nothing  else  to  do,  —  there  had  been 
nothing  else  from  the  first.  And  she  must  stand 
alone.  Fresh  inquiry  would  be  instituted  to-mor- 
row, and  her  mother's  veracity  could  not  stand 
the  strain  to  which  it  might  be  put  if  she  knew 


"search  my  lady's  wabdrobe."  241 

all.  Neither  could  the  secret  be  shared  with  Aunt 
Clevering,  for  her  mother-heart  might  betray  its 
anxiety,  and  so  would  another  family  be  involved. 
She  must  bear  the  burden  herself;  must  evade, 
pretend,  even  lie,  if  need  be,  to  keep  the  knowl- 
edge from  any  one  else.  The  man  had  fled  to  her 
for  sanctuary  ;  which  were  worse,  she  asked  her- 
self bitterly,  to  soil  her  lips  with  an  untruth,  or  her 
hands  with  a  betrayal,  a  breach  of  trust  and  of 
hospitality  ?  From  Betty  and  Aunt  Clevering 
she  could  expect  no  mercy  of  neglect,  because  of 
that  hasty  speech  about  the  attic  closet.  It  had 
been  made  thoughtlesslv,  to  establish  her  own 
footing  more  securely  by  a  great  show  of  loyalty  ; 
but  would,  she  knew,  act  as  a  two-edged  sword, 
cutting  away  part  of  her  safety.  To-morrow  she 
w^ould  not  dare  leave  the  house  all  day  lest  some- 
thing terrible  transpire  in  her  absence  ;  she  must 
feign  some  pretext  for  staying  in-doors  —  per- 
chance a  headache  from  the  effects  of  her  fright. 

And  then  having  planned  her  course  fully  and 
carefully,  woman-like  she  began  to  cry  tempestu- 
ously at  the  position  in  which  she  found  herself ; 
blaming  with  equally  unreasoning  impatience  the 
band,  Eichard,  and  her  horse  for  her  predicament. 
If  she  were  only  a  Whig,  doing  this  thing  for  her 
country,  or  else  if  she  were  but  in  love  with  Eich- 
ard, how  beautiful,  how  romantic,  it  would  all  be  ! 
But  —  but  — 

And  even  after  she  was  in  bed,  she  went  on  sob- 
bing softly  to  herself. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 


IN  takleton's  toils. 


"  The  brave  man  is  not  he  who  feels  no  fear, 
For  that  were  stupid  and  irrational  ; 
But  he  whose  noble  soul  its  fear  subdues, 
And  bravely  dares  the  danger  nature  shrinks  from." 

—  Joanna  Baillie. 

AFTER  a  troubled  sleep  that  brought  little 
rest,  Joscelyn  opened  her  eyes  on  what  she 
supposed  would  be  a  day  of  danger, — certainly  a 
day  of  small  deceptions.  But  in  one  way  fortune 
favoured  her;  the  morning  was  cold  and  raw,  with 
now  and  then  a  flurry  of  snow,  so  she  would  have 
no  occasion  to  leave  the  house,  and  need  worry 
over  no  excuse  for  biding  at  home.  But  the  early 
hours  were  full  of  quavers  and  starts  ;  the  least 
quick  noise  sent  her  blood  racing  through  its 
channels.  Her  first  real  fright  came  when  the 
guard  in  the  back  yard  discovered  bits  of  fresh 
mud  upon  the  trellis  of  the  porch. 

"  'Tis  nothing,"  she  said,  with  a  touch  of  asper- 
ity when  he  showed  it  to  her ;  "  the  maid  threw  a 
broken  flower  pot  from  the  upper  window,  and 
this  earth  was  no  doubt  spilled  out  as  it  fell  — 
there  are  the  remnants  of  the  jar  by  the  fence." 

The  guard  bowed  and  withdrew ;  but  there  was 
a  supercilious  smile  on  his  face,  which  filled  her 

242 


IN  takleton's  toils.  243 

with  nervous  apprehension.  In  a  hasty  resent- 
ment that  the  man  perhaps  guessed  at  her  duplic- 
ity, she  could  have  struck  him. 

And  yet  a  second  time  was  she  thrown  into 
consternation,  when  her  mother  discovered  the 
loss  of  the  attic  key  from  her  bunch. 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  lost !  I  broke  the  string  yester- 
day night,  and  doubtless  I  missed  this  one  when 
I  strung  them  up  again.  It  is  in  my  room  this 
minute,  I  dare  swear.  Is  there  aught  you  need 
in  the  attic  now?" 

"  Na}^,  I  but  feared  the  key  was  lost." 

"  Well,  let  me  first  finish  this  round  of  knitting 
and  I  will  hunt  it.  Mother,"  she  went  on,  after 
a  pause,  during  which  she  picked  up  her  stitches 
industriousl}',  "  had  you  not  better  go  over  and 
make  ra}'  peace  with  Aunt  Clevering?  She  was 
most  angry  with  me  last  night." 

"  And  good  cause  she  had,  Joscelyn ;  methinks 
I  never  heard  any  one  make  so  rude  a  speech. 
What  put  you  to  it  ? " 

"  In  faith,  mother,  I  cannot  tell.  It  was  cruel 
and  unwarranted,  and  you  may  tell  her  I  say  so, 
and  that  I  am  bitterly  sorr3^  Make  any  excuse 
you  please,  only  make  it  at  once,  for  you  know 
Aunt  Clevering's  displeasure  grows  like  a  mush- 
room when  left  to  itself." 

She  had  small  hope  that  her  aunt  would  be 
appeased,  but  she  wanted  her  mother  out  of  the 
way  that  she  might  carry  her  prisoner  something 
to  eat.     It  w'as  close  upon  one  o'clock,  and  not  a 


244  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

morsel  had  she  been  able  to  give  him.  She  drew 
the  bolt  of  the  front  door  after  her  mother,  who 
was  nothing  loath  to  go  upon  this  peace  errand ; 
and  hurrying  to  the  dining  room,  made  hasty 
preparation  to  relieve  Richard's  needs.  She  was 
not  used  to  doing  things  upon  the  sly,  and  her 
heart  was  in  hot  rebellion  that  she  must  stoop  to 
such  a  thing  among  her  own  servants.  There 
were  hard  lines  of  determination  about  her  mouth, 
but  the  hands  that  sliced  the  meat  and  buttered 
the  bread  shook  a  little.  Even  wlien  on  the  stair, 
she  turned  back,  startled  by  a  sound  in  the  hall ; 
but  it  was  only  the  cat  romping  with  her  little 
ones,  and  so  once  more  she  went  on.  Softly  she 
unlocked  the  attic  door,  and  stepped  in.  The 
room  was  in  partial  twilight,  having  no  window, 
but  she  saw  Richard  coming  to  meet  her. 

"ISTo  May-day  sunshine  w^as  ever  half  so  wel- 
come," he  whispered,  taking  her  hand  in  both 
of  his.  "Tell  me  how  matters  have  gone  this 
morning.  I  have  fretted  myself  into  a  fever  lest 
I  bring  some  annoyance  upon  you.  And  now 
you  must  promise  me  that  if  discovery  comes, 
you  will  forswear  all  knowledge  of  my  being 
here.  I  shall  clfiim  that  the  key  was  in  the  lock, 
and  after  I  was  inside,  some  one  came  and  closed 
the  door.     Thus  will  you  be  free  from  blame." 

"  And  think  you  any  one  will  believe  so  flimsy 
a  story?  Nay,  the  only  safety  for  either  of  us 
lies  in  your  not  being  discovered.  I  understand 
that  Tarleton  is  furious  over  his  failure,  and  has 


IN  tableton's  toils.  245 

already  ordered  a  new  search.  I  rely  upon  ray 
own  loyalty,  and  upon  his  lordship's  order  for  our 
exemption.  But  if  the  worst  comes,  we  must  be 
prepared." 

"I  am."  He  touched  his  pistols  and  drew  him- 
self up  until  his  magnificent  figure  was  at  perfect 
pose.  "  I  shall  die,  Joscelyn,  but  like  a  soldier ;  not 
on  the  gallows." 

She  shuddered,  and  her  eyes  lost  their  coldness ; 
the  woman  in  her  was  touched  by  his  cool  courage 
in  face  of  such  a  danger. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  with  a  hesitating  gentleness, 
"  but  I  pray  it  come  not  to  that.  By  being  pre- 
pared I  meant  we  must  leave  no  tell-tale  traces 
here  such  as  these,"  —  she  pointed  to  the  platter  and 
pitcher.  "  I  shall  take  these  away ;  your  dinner 
I  have  brought  in  this  bit  of  paper  —  leave  no 
crumbs  when  you  have  finished.  This  jug  con- 
tains water  and  this  bottle  wine ;  stand  them  in 
that  corner  with  those  empty  bottles,  and  they 
will  attract  no  attention." 

"  It  shall  be  done,  Joscelvn." 

'•'  Watch  under  the  door ;  if  there  is  an  order 
given  to  search  the  house,  I  will  try  and  warn 
3'ou  by  a  note." 

"Joscelyn,  desperate  as  I  was,  I  should  have 
sought  some  other  shelter,  had  I  not  thought  your 
loyalty  would  put  your  house  beyond  the  shadow 
of  suspicion.  "Will  you  not  say  j^ou  forgive  me 
before  you  go  ?     We  may  never  meet  again." 

"  There  is  nothing  to  forgive ;  you  but  put  it 


246  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

in  my  power  to  requite  an  obligation,"  she  said 
very  gently. 

"That  is  scarce  a  pardon.  I  would  have  you 
speak  as  though  the  forgiveness  came  from  your 
heart,  rather  than  from  your  head.  Between  us 
there  can  be  no  question  of  a  debt ;  my  love 
makes  me  your  bondservant,  and  as  such  my 
service  is  yours  rightfully." 

"  Your  name  is  not  known,"  she  broke  in  has- 
tily, "  but  I  understand  it  is  suspected  that  my 
rescuer  of  yesterday  is  the  escaped  spy." 

"  That  accounts  for  Tarleton's  doubt  of  you. 
Joscelyn,  I  will  not  stay  here  a  moment  longer 
and  expose  you  thus.  My  mother's  house  has 
already  been  searched  —  " 

"  And  will  be  again  ere  nightfall.  "What  you 
propose  is  folly,  —  worse  than  folly  ;  it  is  death  to 
you  and  betrayal  to  me.  There  are  double  guards 
everywhere,  for  Colonel  Tarleton  is  as  much  po- 
liceman as  soldier.  You  could  not  leave  this 
house  and  cross  the  street  alive ! " 

"Then  what  must  I  do?" 

"Why,  in  sooth,  since  you  cannot  go,  you  must 
remain."  There  was  just  a  touch  in  her  voice 
and  smile  which  made  him  think  of  their  early 
days  of  quarrel  and  make-up.  It  was  such  an  in- 
toxicating change  from  her  manner  of  a  moment 
ago  that  he  lost  his  head  and  caught  her  for  a 
moment  in  his  strong  arms.  But  she  broke  away, 
and  gathering  up  the  pitcher  and  platter  prepared 
to  go. 


m  takleton's  toils.  247 

"  There  is  just  one  thing,"  she  said  hesitatingly, 
"your  despatches  —  ?"  He  tapped  his  forehead. 
Again  she  paused  irresolutely,  the  colour  coming 
and  going  in  her  delicate  cheeks.  "  I  am  saving 
you,  not  your  despatches  ;  do  you  understand  ? " 

"  You  do  not  mean  —  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  mean  that  Greene  must  learn  nothing 
from  you  if  you  escape." 

But  his  hand  was  over  her  mouth  before  she 
could  go  on.  "  You  cannot  make  a  request  so 
unworthy  of  you  and  of  me !  Think  you  for  one 
instant  that  I  would  buy  my  safety  with  the  in- 
formation that  may  save  my  comrades  ?  No,  no, 
Joscelyn  dear ;  you  did  not  ask  such  a  thing  of 
me,  for  you  would  not  dishonour  me,  although 
you  say  you  do  not  love  me.  I  make  no  such 
bargain  with  you ;  either  I  carry  my  despatches 
to  my  general,  or  I  walk  out  of  your  house  this 
minute,  and  let  the  first  ball  that  can  hit  me  put 
an  end  to  my  life." 

His  hand  was  on  the  door,  but  she  dragged  him 
back ;  her  face  like  ashes.  "  No,  no,  Richard ;  I 
will  not  ask  it  —  indeed,  I  will  not!" 

Silently  he  kissed  the  hand  upon  his  sleeve, 
and  as  they  stood  thus  looking  into  each  other's 
eyes,  there  came  a  sharp  rapping  at  the  door 
below.  She  went  deathly  pale  for  a  moment, 
then  waving  him  back,  she  stepped  out  into  the 
hallway. 

"  It  is  only  mother,"  she  said,  after  listening  a 
moment ;  "  she  has  been  over  to  Aunt  Clevering's 


248  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

to  make  my  peace  for  last  night's  rudeness.  "What 
I  said  was  in  desperation ;  I  know  not  what  evil 
genius  put  me  to  it." 

He  took  her  hand  reverently  for  a  moment. 
"'Twas  no  evil  genius,  but  a  brave  spirit  of  self- 
sacrifice." 

She  locked  the  door,  and  went  down  the  stair 
singing.      At  the  foot  she  called  out,  "  Coming, 
mother !  "  and  ran  to  hide  the  dishes  she  carried, 
then  back  to  the  door  and  undid  it,  still  singing 
her  merry  ditty. 

"  "Why  should  you  bolt  the  door,  my  daughter, 
seeing  I  was  to  be  gone  only  a  few  minutes  ? " 

"  I  was  upstairs  straightening  things  a  bit,  and 
the  town  is  so  full  of  confusion  that  I  felt  a  trifle 
nervous." 

"  But  here  was  the  sentinel  to  protect  you." 

"  Oh,  I  quite  forgot  him  ! "  she  smiled  with  dep- 
recating politeness  at  the  sentinel,  who  had  paused 
at  the  steps  and  was  watching  her  with  an  uglv 
frown  upon  his  sullen  face.  He  touched  his  hat 
with  a  shrug,  and  moved  on  upon  his  beat. 

But  a  new  terror  came  to  the  girl ;  evidently 
the  man  suspected  her,  and  of  course  his  suspicion 
would  be  carried  to  Tarleton.  Why  had  she 
lingered  upstairs  talking  with  Richard  ?  Every 
thing  she  did  worked  the  wrong  way.  "Would  the 
day  never  end  ?  She  strove  to  make  amends  for 
her  false  step  by  singing  Tory  songs  as  she  went 
about  the  house,  and  by  sending  the  guard  a 
dainty  luncheon.     It  was  perhaps  an  hour  before 


IN  tarleton's  toils.  249 

she  remembered  to  ask  her  mother  the  result  of 
her  interview  with  Aunt  Clevering. 

"  Oh,  but  I  had  a  sad  scene  of  it !  Joscelyn, 
your  tongue  will  be  the  ruin  of  us ;  I  know  it,  I 
know  it !  Neighbour  after  neighbour  has  taken 
offence  at  your  outspoken  Toryism ;  and  now 
Ann  Clevering,  dear  to  me  as  a  sister,  says  she 
hopes  you  will  never  darken  her  door  again. 
And  if  3"ou  go  not,  why,  neither  can  I ;  and  so 
I  am  cut  off  from  my  best  friend  by  your  un- 
neighbourly caprice !  And  think  what  we  have 
been  to  each  other ! "  Here  sobs  choked  the  un- 
happy woman's  utterance,  and  she  could  only 
turn  her  eyes  reproachfully  upon  her  daughter. 

Joscelyn  was  deeply  moved,  as  she  always  was, 
to  wound  her  mother ;  but  she  put  the  best  face 
possible  on  it  in  order  to  cheer  the  disconsolate 
old  lady. 

"  There,  mother  dear,  'tis  not  worth  crying 
over.  Not  go  to  see  Aunt  Clevering  because  I 
cannot  go?  Why,  that  is  nonsense.  Of  course 
you  will  go,  and  she  will  come  here  just  the  same. 
I  will  keep  out  of  her  way  until  she  forgives  me 
—  for  she  will  forgive  me,  never  you  fear.  I  am 
not  surprised  at  her  anger,  but  it  will  all  come 
out  right  in  the  end  ;  so  don't  cry,  little  mother, 
you  break  my  heart  with  your  tears." 

But  in  her  heart  was  serious  question  whether 
she  would  ever  again  be  received  upon  friendly 
footing  in  the  house  over  the  way,  which  bad 
been  to  her  as  a  second  home.     She  would  never 


250  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

tell  that  she  had  made  that  speech  to  turn  inquirj* 
from  her  own  house,  where  Richard  was  hiding ; 
and  she  now  doubted  much  if  he  would  escape 
to  tell  the  story  himself.  She  sang  no  more  that 
afternoon,  but  sat  silently  over  her  knitting.  The 
weather  did  not  tend  to  mend  her  spirits  ;  for  the 
drizzle  of  the  morning  had  turned  into  a  steady 
downpour,  and  the  wind  moaned  about  the  gables 
and  up  the  throat  of  the  wide  chimney  like  a  lost 
spirit  hopelessly  seeking  its  reincarnation.  Her 
mother  was  still  brooding  over  the  break  with  the 
Cleverings,  and  now  and  then  lifting  her  kerchief 
to  her  face  in  a  gesture  that  was  a  reproach  to 
Joscelyn,  who  strove  not  to  see  it ;  and  yet  she 
watched  for  it  persistently  out  of  the  tail  of  her 
eye.  She  grew  more  miserable  each  moment ;  and 
so  hailed  with  delight  the  entrance  of  Barry  and 
a  fellow-officer,  who  had  come  to  bask  in  the 
warmth  of  her  smile. 

"  Your  visit  is  a  charity,  gentlemen,"  she  said 
gayly,  as  she  gave  them  chairs ;  "  this  weather 
serves  one's  spirits  and  one's  ruffles  alike,  in  that 
it  leaves  them  both  limp  and  frowsy." 

"  Your  mother  seems  more  out  of  sorts  than 
you." 

"  Yes ;  mother  is  doing  penance  for  my  sin  of 
last  night.  Captain  Barry." 

"  Your  sin  ?  Why,  methinks  you  never  com- 
mitted anything  more  heinous  than  a  misde- 
meanour. Come,  make  me  your  confessor,  and  I 
promise  you  complete  and  immediate  absolution." 


IN  takleton's  toils.  251 

"  'Tis  not  your  absolution,  but  Mistress  Clever- 
ing's  that  I  need ;  she  has  excommunicated  me  for 
telling  of  the  attic  closet,"  she  spoke  with  an  air 
of  mock  penitence  that  set  her  visitors  off  in  a 
roar. 

But  Mistress  Cheshire  stopped  them  with  a 
fresh  burst  of  tears,  '•'  'Tis  no  matter  for  jesting 
with  me,  sirs.  I  am  a  subject  of  King  George  and 
wish  him  well,  but  he  cannot  take  the  place  of 
Ann  Clevering'  in  ray  heart !  " 

"  True,  true,"  said  Joscelyn,  still  with  her  air  of 
pretence,  only  now  it  was  playful ;  "she  loves  her 
king,  but,  you  see,  she  lives  not  neighbours  with 
him ;  and  so,  forsooth,  she  cannot  compare  her 
loaves  with  his  on  a  baking  day,  nor  ask  the  loan  of 
his  pie  pans,  nor  offer  her  mixing  bowl  in  return. 
Ah,  gentlemen,  there  is  a  homely  charm  in  prox- 
imity of  which  the  poets  wot  not ! " 

And  so  the  talk  ran  on  for  a  few  minutes,  and 
the  visitors  agreed  they  had  never  found  Mistress 
Joscelyn  so  charming  or  so  witty.  Then  they  fell 
to  talking  of  the  military  news,  of  Tarleton's 
determination  to  ferret  out  the  hidden  spy,  and 
of  the  burning  of  the  Reverend  Hugh  McAden's 
library  by  that  division  of  the  array  stationed  at  Red 
House,  a  few  miles  distant.  To  all  of  the  first  she 
listened  with  an  outward  show  of  indifference,  but 
wnth  an  inward  quaking.  The  other  news  inter- 
ested her  less  ;  but  for  obvious  reasons  was  also  less 
embarrassing. 

"  I  pray  you,  Captain    Barry,  why  should  the 


252  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

soldiers  burn  the  reverend  gentleman's  library  ? 
'Twas  innocent  enough,  and  he  himself  has  been 
dead  this  twelvemonth." 

"  Well,  they  found  from  his  books  he  was  a 
Presbyterian ;  and  being  that,  he  must  perforce  be 
also  a  rebel." 

"  And  they  consigned  his  books  to  the  same  fate 
they  believed  him  to  be  enjoying  —  the  fire  ? 
Pra}'^  you,  sir,  were  the  flames  hlue  f  Being  the 
very  essence  of  Presbyterianism,  they  should  have 
been  blue,  you  know." 

"  Capital !  I  shall  tell  his  lordship  of  your 
excellent  joke." 

She  hated  herself  for  her  little  pleasantry,  for 
she  had  sincerely  admired  the  minister,  whom  she 
had  known  since  childhood  ;  but  she  must  keep 
up  a  show  of  gayety,  that  these  young  men  might 
carry  a  good  report  of  her  to  headquarters. 

With  the  growing  cloudiness  the  day  was  visibly 
shortened.  Joscelvn,  o-lancins:  now  and  then  at 
the  window,  watched  the  going  of  the  light  with 
secret  satisfaction.  Already  the  opposite  houses 
were  becoming  indistinct,  and  as  the  shadows 
grew  apace,  just  in  proportion  did  her  spirits  rise ; 
the  danger  was  drifting  away,  and  the  man  up- 
stairs now  had  a  chance  for  life.  But  just  as  she 
was  con^ratulatino^  herself  that  the  ordeal  was 
past,  there  came  a  trampling  of  hoofs  at  the  door; 
and  Tarleton's  voice,  giving  some  order,  made  her 
realize  that  the  crisis  had  perchance  but  just  now 
come.       For  one   awful   moment    the   power  of 


m  taeleton's  toils.  253 

motion  forsook  her ;  then  with  a  masterly  effort  at 
calmness,  she  said  :  — 

"Mother,  entertain  the  gentlemen  while  I  see 
why  Samuel  does  not  bring  the  lights," 

She  managed  to  walk  with  becoming  leisure  to 
the  parlour  door ;  but  once  outside  she  almost  flew 
up  the  stairs.  Down  on  her  knees  before  the  fire 
in  her  room,  she  wrote  rapidly  upon  a  scrap  of 
paper : — 

"  Be  ready.  Tarleton  has  come.  They  shall  search 
my  room  first  ;  that  must  be  your  refuge.  When  I 
open  the  attic  door,  stand  thou  close  behind  it ;  I  will 
direct  attention  to  the  chest  and  shelves  at  the  far 
end  —  then,  if  any,  is  your  chance." 

She  rose  to  her  feet ;  the  hall  below  was  full  of 
manly  voices,  above  which  her  mother  called, 
"  Joscelyn,  Joscelyn,  come  at  once,  here  are  more 
visitors." 

"  Yes,  mother."  Then  with  a  crash  she  dropped 
the  key  basket,  which  she  had  snatched  up,  just  in 
front  of  the  attic  door,  and  while  gathering  up  the 
spilled  keys  with  one  hand,  she  slipped  the  note 
under  the  door  with  the  other,  and  instantly  felt 
it  grasped  and  drawn  away  to  the  other  side.  She 
knew  Kichard  could  read  it  by  means  of  his  tinder- 
box.  Then  flinging  the  keys  into  the  basket,  she 
ran  downstairs.  As  she  entered  the  parlour,  and 
saw  before  the  hearth  the  short,  square  figure  of 
Tarleton,  the  tremor  passed  out  of  her  limbs.  All 
day  she  had  been  starting  and  quaking ;  now  in 
the  presence  of  the  real  danger,  she  was  calm  and 


254  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

collected.  She  greeted  the  colonel  with  a  fair 
show  of  hospitality,  and  fell  immediately  to  talk- 
ing of  those  ill-fated  volumes  of  McAden.  It  was 
anything  to  gain  time  that  the  last  lingering  day- 
light might  go.  Tarleton  let  her  run  on  for  a  few 
minutes,  even  let  Barry  repeat  her  poor  little  joke 
about  the  blue  flames ;  then  he  cleared  his  throat 
and  began  :  — 

"Mistress  Joscelyn,  it  behooves  —  " 

But  she  interrupted  him.  "  Wh}^,  dear  me,  did 
not  mother  give  you  a  cup  of  tea  ?  You  must 
have  one  at  once  to  kill  that  cold  in  your  throat. 
What  a  terrible  ride  you  must  have  had  to-day  in 
this  storm.  A  soldier's  life  is  indeed  a  hard  one, 
and  nobly  does  he  win  the  fame  which  illumines 
his  name!  Two  lumps,  or  three?  Ah,  you  have 
a  sweet  tooth." 

But  she  could  not  stave  him  off  after  he  had 
drained  his  cup.  She  wanted  to  tell  him  how 
they  came  by  the  tea  since  the  tax  had  stopped 
its  sale,  but  he  cut  her  short. 

"Another  time,  ]\[istress  Joscelyn,  I  shall  be 
glad  to  listen  to  your  story,  which  is  no  doubt  an 
interesting  one.  But  just  now  I  have  graver 
matters  to  discuss  with  you." 

"  Grave  matters  with  me  ? "  she  repeated,  with 
feigned  surprise  and  a  ripple  of  laughter  that  was 
like  the  tinkle  of  a  silver  bell.  "  That  is  an 
unusual  kind  of  discussion  for  a  soldier  to  hold 
with  a  woman.  Are  you  going  to  ask  my  advice 
about  your   morning   coffee   or  your   next   cam- 


IN  taeleton's  toils.  255 

paign  ?  But  I  pray  you,  sir,  proceed ;  I  am  all 
attention." 

There  was  not  a  glimmer  of  daylight  through 
the  unshuttered  window-sash.  She  felt  the  sinews 
in  her  hands  and  arms  grow  like  iron,  and  her 
pulses  beat  with  the  perfection  of  rhythm.  So 
does  a  great  crisis  sometimes  steady  a  woman's 
nerves. 

The  short  colonel  rocked  himself  from  toe  to 
heel  a  moment  as  he  looked  at  her  half  in  unbelief, 
half  in  admiration  of  her  coolness.  Truly  she  was 
superb.     Then  he  said  :  — 

"  The  spy  of  yesterday  has  not  been  taken." 

"  So  these  gentlemen  were  telling  me,"  smiling 
over  at  Barry. 

"  But  it  is  most  important  to  the  safety  of  our 
command  and  the  good  of  our  cause  that  he  be 
found  —  dead  or  alive." 

She  merely  nodded,  never  taking  her  steady 
gaze  from  his  face. 

"  That  he  could  have  gotten  out  of  the  town  is 
impossible.  My  men  ran  him  in  from  the  west 
side,  over  the  bridge  of  the  Eno.  The  sentinels 
were  at  their  posts  upon  the  north,  east,  and 
south  sides  of  the  village ;  he  could  not  have 
passed  them  without  detection." 

Again  he  paused  ;  and  finding  that  something 
was  expected  of  her  she  said,  in  a  most  matter- 
of-fact  way,  "  I  see." 

"  Then  the  only  conclusion  to  come  to  is,  that 
he  is  still  in  the  town.     Well,  now,  every  house 


256  JOSCELYN    CHESHIEE. 

in  this  vicinity,  where  he  was  last  seen,  has  been 
thoroughly  searched  save  yours.  I  have  talked 
with  Lord  Cornwallis  —  " 

She  stood  up  suddenly,  with  a  dignity  of  move- 
ment that  well-nigh  disconcerted  him.  "I  pray 
you,  Colonel  Tarleton,  cut  your  explanation 
short." 

"  Then  in  short,  madam,  I  have  here  an  order 
from  his  lordship  to  examine  your  house  and 
premises." 

She  stretched  out  her  hand  for  the  paper 
silently,  imperiously. 

Barry  had  risen  and  come  to  her  side. 

"You  will  see,"  Tarleton  made  haste  to  add, 
"  that  your  own  loyalty  is  not  impugned.  The 
paper  states  explicitly  that  it  is  not  believed  you 
have  any  knowledge  of  the  man's  whereabouts; 
but  it  is  thought  possible  he  may  have  concealed 
himself  secretly  in  your  house.  I  have  spoken 
to  his  lordship,  and — " 

"  It  were  unnecessary  to  say  so  —  I  know  full 
well,  without  the  telling,  who  has  so  poisoned  his 
lordship's  mind  against  me.  Every  man,  woman, 
and  child  in  this  communitv  knows  that  I  have 
never  wavered  in  my  allegiance  to  the  king.  I 
have  been  a  target  for  Whig  criticism,  almost  of 
persecution,  because  of  that  allegiance  —  and  this 
is  my  reward ! "  she  struck  the  paper  sharply 
with  her  other  hand.  "  Well,  sir,  I  recognize  the 
source !  "  she  turned  her  eyes  scornfully  upon  the 
man  on  the  rug. 


IN  tarleton's  toils.  257 

Tarleton  ground  his  teeth,  but  his  private  orders 
were  to  use  the  ladv  with  all  g^entleness,  and 
he  knew  how  to  obey  —  under  provocation.  He 
began  some  sullen  disclaimer,  but  she  broke  in 
imperiously  :  — 

"  Enough,  sir ;  such  paltry  excuses  weary  me. 
Let  us  to  business." 

"  You  interpose  no  objection  ?  " 

"  None,  sir.  In  this  house  the  mandates  of  his 
majesty's  representatives  are  obeyed.  Let  me 
see ;  is  it  your  wish  to  begin  upstairs  ?  Yery  well. 
Perhaps  these  gentlemen  will  be  kind  enough  to 
watch  the  stair ;  the  flight  below  the  landing 
comes  down  just  at  this  door." 

"  May  I  not  come  with  you  ?  "  pleaded  Barry, 
who  was  loath  to  have  her  out  of  his  sight  with  the 
brusque  colonel,  lest  some  rude  word  be  spoken  to 
her,  —  a  discourtesy  he  would  have  been  hot  to 
revenge  even  upon  his  superior  officer. 

Tarleton  nodded  assent,  but  Joscelyn  laugh- 
ingly interposed,  "  Nay,  good  captain,  your  boots 
show  the  effects  of  the  weather ;  it  would  grieve 
my  mother's  housewifely  heart  to  know  they  were 
leaving  their  impress  upon  her  carpets.  Wait 
here  and  guard  the  stair  —  are  we  three  not  enough 
to  capture  one  ? "  She  pointed  as  she  spoke  from 
herself  and  Tarleton  to  his  orderly  who  had  been 
standing  at  attention  just  inside  the  door.  "  I  take 
it.  Colonel  Tarleton,  that  we  shall  be  suflBcient  ? " 
He  bowed ;  and  thrusting  her  knitting  into  her 
pocket,  she  moved  out  of  the  room,  followed  by 


258  JOSCELYN    CHESHIKE. 

the  officer  and  his  orderly.  "Mother,  look  you  to 
the  comfort  of  these  other  guests ;  I  shall  return 
presently." 

There  was  a  threat  in  Barry's  eyes  as  they  met 
Tarleton's  in  a  fleeting  glance;  but  he  merely 
saluted  in  silence  as  that  officer  passed  out.  One 
day  Tarleton  should  pay  for  this  needless  offence 
to  a  girl  so  unprotected  and  so  beautiful.  It  was 
most  evident  from  her  bearing  to  see  that  she  had 
nothing  to  fear  from  an  investigation.  Yes,  one 
day  he  should  pay  for  it. 

In  the  hall  Joscelyn  stopped  to  pick  up  the  key- 
basket  and  the  one  candle  in  its  tall  brass  candle- 
stick. Thus  did  she  leave  the  lower  hall  unlighted 
save  from  the  open  parlour  door,  for  she  wanted  no 
radiance  thrown  upward  to  the  story  above.  She 
talked  unceasingly  as  they  mounted  the  steps,  rais- 
ing her  voice  presumably  to  overtop  the  noise  of 
the  heavy  boots,  but  really  as  a  warning  to  the 
man  hiding  above.  Not  for  a  moment  did  she 
allow  herself  to  consider  the  probably  fatal  out- 
come of  this  search.  She  needed  every  faculty  of 
mind  and  body  to  meet  the  moments  as  they  came. 
In  the  narrow  upper  entry  she  paused  and  lifted 
her  candle  ;  a  few  chairs,  a  spinning-wheel,  and  a 
table  formed  its  only  furniture.  A  cat  could 
scarcely  have  hidden  there. 

"  Proceed,  I  pray  you,"  said  Tarleton,  after  one 
glance  around. 

Three  doors  opened  on  this  passage  ;  the  nearest 
of  these,  which  was  the  one  toward  the  front,  she 


IN  tarleton's  toils.  259 

threw  open.  The  white  bed,  the  frilled  curtains, 
the  dainty  toilet  articles  upon  the  dresser,  were 
heralds  enough  to  proclaim  the  occupant.  Even 
Tarleton  hesitated. 

"  To  search  here  were  useless." 

"  Nay,  sir ;  I  insist  that  you  carry  out  your 
instructions." 

She  placed  the  candle  on  the  table  and  waited 
haughtily  while  the  inspection  was  made,  nodding 
toward  the  wardrobe,  "  Open  the  doors  and  see 
if  Betty  Clevering  knew  whereof  she  spoke." 

"There  is  no  one  here,"  said  Tarleton,  following 
her  instructions,  his  big  hand  looking  awkward 
enough  among  the  pretty  feminine  garments.  She 
picked  up  the  light  and  opened  the  connecting 
door  to  her  mother's  room.  Tarleton  went  with 
her  first,  however,  nodding  to  the  orderly  to  return 
by  way  of  the  passage,  that  none  might  creep  by 
that  means  from  the  rear. 

"An  excellent  precaution  ;  I  had  not  thought  of 
it,"  said  Joscelyn,  detecting  the  unspoken  order. 

There  was  a  bright  fire  on  her  mother's  hearth, 
and  she  stood  as  though  warming  herself  while  the 
two  men  made  their  investigation.  Her  manner 
was  so  perfectly  frank  and  unconcerned  that  Tarle- 
ton began  to  curse  himself  for  a  fool.  At  head- 
quarters the  other  officers  had  opposed  his  plan, 
laughing  at  the  evidence  his  guards  had  gathered 
—  a  little  mud  on  a  trellis  in  rainy  weather,  a 
locked  door  when  a  woman  was  left  alone  in  her 
house  in  such  troublous  times !     Truly,  the  short 


260  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

colonel  was  over-credulous  to  attach  any  signifi- 
cance to  such  trifles.  Only  by  the  most  masterly 
persuasion  had  he  wrung  that  order  from  Corn- 
wallis.  He  did  not  relish  the  laugh  he  knew  his 
failure  would  provoke,  so  he  lingered  somewhat  in 
this  room,  examining  the  closet,  and  making  the 
orderly  climb  up  and  look  to  see  that  no  one  was 
hidden  on  top  of  the  tall  tester.  Finally,  he 
announced  himself  satisfied. 

Joscelyn's  hands  were  like  ice  as  she  took  up  the 
light  and  led  the  way  into  the  hall,  and  there 
stopped  in  front  of  the  attic  door. 

"This  is  the  only  other  apartment  on  this  floor. 
It  is  the  attic  over  the  pantry  and  kitchen,  and 
extends  to  the  right  the  length  of  this  hall  and  of 
mother's  room,  which  you  have  just  quitted.  There 
is  no  other  entrance  but  this  door  in  the  corner,  as 
you  will  see." 

"  Take  the  light,  orderly,"  said  Tarleton,  as  she 
turned  over  the  keys  in  the  basket.  This  was  not 
what  she  wanted,  but  she  yielded  it  without  a 
demurrer. 

The  key  turned  easily,  and  opening  the  door  she 
stepped  in,  still  keeping  her  hand  upon  the  knob, 
which  action  brought  her  within  a  foot  and  a  half 
of  the  wall  behind.  Still  holding  the  door  and 
facing  about  she  pointed  down  the  long,  narrow 
apartment. 

"  Will  you  make  yourselves  at  home,  gentle- 
men?" 

Tarleton's  spirits  rose  ;  the  shadows  and  heaped- 


IN  taeleton's  toils.  261 

up  odds  and  ends  in  the  far  side  of  the  room 
seemed  a  covert  for  noble  game.  There  was  no 
furniture  at  this  end  against  which  the  door 
opened,  only  bags  of  seed  and  dried  peppers  and 
herbs  hanging  along  the  wall  in  rear  of  the  girlish 
figure.  His  quick  glance  took  this  in ;  then  mo- 
tioning his  orderly  to  follow,  he  went  down  the 
length  of  the  apartment,  the  light  glinting  on  the 
pistols  in  each  man's  hand.  On  the  shelves  were 
carefully  folded  piles  of  bedclothes,  and  behind 
the  chest  a  smooth  roll  of  carpet  powdered  with 
dust.  The  hair  trunks  and  the  broken  bureau 
gave  up  no  guest,  nor  did  the  deep  shelves  reveal 
anything  suspicious. 

All  this  while  a  hand  had  been  plucking  at 
Joscelyn's  skirt,  but  Tarleton  had  kept  his  side 
face  to  her  so  that  any  action  was  impossible. 
Now,  however,  he  called  sharply  to  his  aide  to 
place  the  candle  on  the  floor  and  help  him  search 
the  big  chest,  remarking  in  a  low  tone  that 
"  Caskets  like  that  sometimes  held  living  jewels." 

Joscelyn  laughed.  "Then  will  it  be  in  the 
shape  of  mice,  of  which  capture  I  wish  you  joy. 
A  rat  hunt  is  noble  sport  for  one  of  his  Majesty's 
gallant  officers  !  " 

As  she  intended  it  should,  this  speech  but 
spurred  Tarleton  on  to  greater  exertions.  They 
would  soon  be  coming  back  to  the  door,  and  she 
dared  not  risk  the  closing  of  it  with  what  she 
knew  was  behind.  But  there  was  not  much  time 
left  for  action;  for,  obeying  orders,  the  aide  placed 


262  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

the  candle  on  the  floor,  and  opening  the  lid  of  the 
chest  began  overhauling  the  contents ;  his  chiefs 
back  was  also  toward  the  door.  Kow,  if  at  all, 
was  the  moment  for  action.  Joscelyn's  hand  had 
been  on  the  yarn  ball  in  her  pocket ;  quick  as  a 
flash  it  was  out  and  the  thread  snapped  apart. 
The  floor  slanted  straight  from  her  to  the  candle. 
With  a  deft  cast  she  sent  the  noiseless  ball  down 
the  room  ;  it  struck  the  narrow-bottomed  candle- 
stick, which  careened  and  rocked  over  —  and  the 
next  moment  the  room  was  in  total  darkness. 

A  cry  broke  from  her  and  Tarleton  simultane- 
ously ;  his  was  an  oath  upon  the  orderly,  hers  a 
nervous  relaxation  of  the  strain  that  had  been 
upon  her. 

"  Colonel  Tarleton,  come  quickly  and  guard  the 
door  whilst  I  find  another  light ! "  she  cried,  sup- 
pressing the  dry  sob  in  her  throat ;  for  in  the 
momentary  darkness  she  had  felt  a  warm  body 
crush  past  her  on  its  way  to  the  hall. 

But  at  that  instant  the  orderly  found  his  tinder- 
box. 


***l   HAVE    SEEN   NO   HUMAN    BEING   SAVE    OUK   PARTY    OF   THREE.'" 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THWARTED. 

"They  laugh  who  win." 

—  Shakespeare. 

A  S  the  candle  kindled  under  the  orderly's  hand 
-^-^  Tarleton,  who  had  sprung  toward  the  door, 
found  himself  within  a  foot  of  Joscelyn,  whom  the 
light  revealed  standing  in  the  open  doorway  with 
a  hand  lifted  to  either  lintel. 

"You  find  me  guarding  the  postern,  colonel," 
she  said,  smiling,  although  her  very  knees  were 
shaking  under  her  with  nervous  trepidation. 

"  How  came  the  light  to  go  out  ? "  he  demanded 
angrily, 

''  Surely,  that  is  a  matter  for  you  to  explain.  I 
was  far  from  it  at  this  end  of  the  room,"  she 
answered  coldly.  Then  presently  added,  "  Per- 
chance 'twas  struck  by  some  of  the  things  you 
threw  out  of  the  chest ;  or  did  the  orderly  jar  the 
plank  on  which  it  sat  ?  You  see  the  floor  is  quite 
a  loose  one.  No  fourth  person  could  have  put  it 
out  without  my  perceiving  him,  and  1  swear  to 
you  I  have  seen  no  human  heing  save  our  party  of 
three  since  coming  up  the  stair." 

This  was  the  truth  ;  for  she  had  not  once  glanced 
behind  the  door,  and  she  spoke  the  words  slowly, 

263 


264:  JOSCELYN   CHESHIKE. 

looking  the  while  straight  into  Tarleton's  eyes. 
He  turned  his  searching  gaze  from  her,  but  evi- 
dently he  was  not  satisfied,  for  as  she  moved  from 
the  door  he  snatched  the  light,  and  stepping 
beyond  her,  and  so  on  up  the  hall,  looked  into 
both  of  the  rooms  he  had  recently  examined. 
As  he  paused  at  her  door  with  the  candle  lifted 
above  his  head,  the  scene  swam  before  Joscelyn's 
eyes.  If  he  entered,  there  would  be  discovery  — 
murder.  It  seemed  an  interminable  minute  that 
he  stood  thus;  then  the  blood  came  again  to  her 
heart  with  a  rush,  for  he  turned  back  from  the 
threshold,  and,  calling  for  another  light  to  leave 
in  the  hall,  he  went  again  to  finish  his  examina- 
tion of  the  attic.  Not  a  box  was  left  unemptied, 
not  a  barrel  or  chest  or  shelf  that  was  not 
searched  as  for  some  tiny  object  that  might 
secrete  itself  in  a  crack.  Joscelyn,  leaning 
against  the  open  door,  watched  the  process  in 
silence  save  for  occasional  mocking  suggestions 
or  biting  comments,  to  most  of  which  he  gave  no 
heed.  A  lurking  suspicion  of  her,  added  to  his 
fear  of  ridicule  at  headquarters,  made  him  doubly 
cautious,  so  that  he  never  turned  his  back  upon 
her  for  an  instant,  and  now  and  then  he  paused 
and  looked  at  her  keenly  and  curiously ;  but  she 
only  gave  him  a  satirical  laugh  for  his  pains. 
But  tlie  search  could  not  go  on  forever,  and  at 
last  he  had  to  announce  that  he  had  finished. 
Joscelyn  longed  to  leave  the  door  open,  that 
Richard  might  creep  back ;   but  they  had  found 


THWARTED.  265 

it  locked,  and  so,  fearful  of  arousing  suspicion,  she 
made  no  objection  when  Tarleton,  having  looked 
behind  the  door,  locked  it  and  handed  her  the 
key.  On  every  step  of  the  stair  her  spirits  rose, 
so  that  her  cheeks  were  brilliant  and  her  eyes 
shining,  when  at  the  bottom  Barry  met  them, 
and  relieving  her  of  her  basket  and  candle,  placed 
them  on  the  table.  There  was  no  need  to  ask  the 
result  of  the  search  ;  Tarleton's  face  was  a  procla- 
mation of  defeat.  After  a  few  pleasantries  with 
Barry  as  to  how  he  had  guarded  the  steps,  and 
how  many  ghostly  spies  he  had  seen  gliding  up  or 
down,  Joscelyn  opened  the  dining  room  door,  say- 
ing, with  a  return  to  her  stately  courtesy  :  — 

"  And  now.  Colonel  Tarleton,  we  will  finish  our 
task,  an  it  please  you.  His  lordship  will  be  con- 
sumed with  impatience  for  your  return." 

Sullenly  Tarleton  followed  her  lead ;  he  inter- 
cepted the  glance  she  shot  at  Barry,  and  felt  him- 
self a  butt  for  her  ridicule,  and  his  temper  was  not 
improved  thereby.  The  ransacked  pantries  and 
closets  gave  up  nothing  that  was  alive  except  a 
mouse,  at  whose  wild  antics,  Joscelyn  and  Barry 
laughed  like  a  couple  of  children,  their  mouths 
full  of  cake  which  the  girl  had  cut  from  the  loaf 
on  the  shelf.  It  was  such  a  relief  to  laugh,  to  do 
anything  to  ease  the  tense  strain  upon  her  nerves 
and  composure.  It  was  raining  without,  and  she 
sat  with  Barry  by  the  dining  room  fire,  while 
Tarleton  and  the  orderly  investigated  the  cellar 
and  the  outbuildings.     Those  few  moments  alone 


266  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

with  her  finished  the  subjugation  of  the  young 
man's  heart.  He  knew  that  for  him  there  could 
be  no  happiness  in  the  future  unless  she  shared 
it  with  him  ;  and  he  was  telling  her  so  in  hesitat- 
ing whispers  —  for  his  very  earnestness  had  made 
him  shy  and  awkward  —  when  the  return  of  the 
searching  party  put  an  end  to  the  interview, 

Joscelyn  stood  upon  the  veranda  as  Tarleton 
mounted  for  the  ride,  and  cried  out  with  her  tan- 
talizing mockery :  — 

"  Commend  me  to  his  lordship,  and  say  that 
you  came  upon  a  fool's  errand,  and  carry  back 
but  the  fruit  of  such  a  quest." 

She  would  have  said  more,  but  her  mother 
plucked  her  by  the  sleeve  with  frightened  com- 
mand ;  and  so  with  an  enchanting  change  of  man- 
ner she  turned  to  Captain  Barry,  who  had  lingered 
on  the  step,  and  begged  that  he  would  ere  long 
give  them  again  the  pleasure  of  his  company. 
Her  words  were  meant  more  as  a  rebuff  to  Tarle- 
ton by  contrast  with  the  sharp  things  she  had 
said  to  him;  but  the  younger  officer  construed 
them  into  an  acknowledged  preference  for  him- 
self, and  his  quick  pulses  throbbed  with  a  fore- 
taste of  that  sweetest  victory  a  man  can  win  — 
the  capture  of  a  beloved  woman's  heart.  As  he 
rode  away  with  his  companion,  he  knew  not  if  it 
still  rained  or  was  clear ;  the  mud  of  the  streets 
might  have  been  drifts  of  bright-hued  blossoms 
for  all  the  notice  he  gave  it;  even  his  resentment 
against  Tarleton  was  forgotten  in  this  sweet  dream 


THWARTED.  267 

of  love  which,  amid  the  shadows  of  war,  had  sud- 
denly opened  before  him  as  a  flower  unfolds  its 
petals  to  the  dawn.  At  supper  with  his  fellow- 
officers,  he  heard  none  of  the  jests  upon  Tarle- 
ton's  failure  of  the  evening,  so  busy  was  he  recall- 
ing every  word  and  look  of  the  girl  who  in  one 
short  week  had  made  the  world  as  a  new  creation 
for  him.  The  time  for  his  wooing  would  be  short, 
and  the  morrow  was  too  remote  for  his  impatient 
heart ;  and  so  ere  another  hour  went  by  he  was 
again  knocking  at  her  door.  Much  to  his  chagrin, 
he  found  other  guests  before  him,  for  hardly  had 
he  quitted  the  house  ere  Mary  Singleton  arrived 
and  announced  that  she  meant  to  tarry  all  night. 

"Eustace  and  some  of  his  friends  are  coming 
later ;  so,  my  dear,  you  must  let  me  run  upstairs 
at  once  and  change  this  damp  gown  for  something 
more  comfortable  and  becoming.  When  you  see 
who  is  with  Eustace,  you  will  understand  why  I 
want  to  look  so  charming.  My  maid  has  my  bag 
in  the  kitchen.     Come." 

Another  menace !  Would  she  never  be  free 
from  discovery,  Joscelyn  ^vondered.  And  taking 
her  friend  by  the  shoulders,  she  pushed  her  play- 
fully into  the  parlour. 

"  'Tis  easy  enough  to  guess  who  is  coming,  by 
the  happiness  in  your  eyes.  But  there,  go  make 
your  duty  to  mother  w^hile  I  have  a  fire  kindled 
in  my  room ;  then  shall  you  make  yourself  as 
beautiful  as  a  dream  ere  it  runs  to  a  nightmare." 

Upstairs  she  raced,  stopping  in  the  hall  only 


268  JOSCELYN   CHESHIKE. 

long  enough  to  unlock  the  attic  door.  In  her 
room  was  a  slight  noise ;  and  she  was  about  to 
call  Richard  softly,  when  by  the  fireplace  she  per- 
ceived the  maid  blowing  the  coals  into  a  blaze. 

"  That  will  do,  Peggy.  Go  down  at  once  and 
get  a  pair  of  your  dry  shoes  for  Mistress  Single- 
ton's maid,  that  she  may  shortly  be  ready  to  help 
her  mistress  dress." 

Peggy  obe3''ed  ;  and  then  Joscelyn  heard  her 
name  called,  and  saw  the  curtains  of  the  bed- 
tester  shaken  as  by  some  one  standing  behind 
them,  and  Richard's  head  and  shoulders  came  to 
view.  Answering  the  look  in  his  eloquent  eyes, 
she  put  out  her  hand  with  a  quick  impulse  to 
meet  his ;  but  at  that  moment  the  door  was  flung 
open,  and  Mary  rushed  in. 

"  They  have  come  already,  and  'tis  as  much  as 
my  chances  with  Edward  IMoore  are  worth  to 
have  him  see  me  in  this  garb ;  so  I  fled  for  my 
life,"  she  cried,  laughing  and  panting  together. 

Joscelyn  dared  not  look  toward  the  bed  cur- 
tain ;  surely,  the  fates  had  combined  against  her ! 
She  stood  quite  still  and  let  Mar}'-  run  on  with  her 
confidences  concerning  young  Moore,  salving  her 
conscience  with  the  thought  that  a  second  listener 
could  not  matter  when  a  human  life  was  at  stake. 
But  when  Mary,  too  intent  upon  the  mirror  to 
look  at  the  bed,  shook  down  her  hair  and  began 
deliberately  to  unfasten  her  bodice,  Joscelyn  grew 
desperate.     She  could  not  permit  this. 

"Wait  until  —  until  the  fire  burns,  Mary,"  she 


THWARTED.  269 

cried,  that  she  might  gain  a  few  minutes  to  think. 
But  Mary  only  laughed  and  went  on  unhooking, 
raving  about  blue  eyes  and  a  tall  figure ;  to  all 
of  which  Joscelyn  agreed,  striving  to  fasten  the 
hooks  again  until  Mary  pushed  her  off  in  a  small 
pet.  Then,  with  a  last  frantic  effort,  she  upset, 
with  a  palpably  awkward  movement  of  her  elbow, 
a  pitcher  that  stood  on  the  dresser;  and  as  the 
deluge  of  water  came  down  she  cried  to  Mary  to 
go  at  once  to  her  mother's  room,  where  was  a 
better  fire,  and  she  would  follow  with  her  things. 
It  was  a  most  open  bit  of  acting,  without  a  shadow 
of  plot  or  diplomacy ;  but  Mary  was  too  intent 
upon  her  love  affair  to  notice,  and  so  went  obedi- 
ently into  the  next  room,  talking  still  of  Edward 
Moore.  As  Joscelyn  gathered  up  some  ribbons 
and  lace  from  the  bed,  she  whispered  as  though 
to  the  curtained  post :  — 

"  The  attic  door  is  open  —  there  is  no  one  in  the 
hall." 

Then  did  the  post  seem  suddenly  alive,  for  a 
hand  caught  hers,  and  a  voice  full  of  love  and 
gratitude  said  in  her  ear :  — 

"  God  bless  you  !     Good-by." 

Ten  minutes  later,  trying  the  attic  door,  she 
found  it  locked  from  witiiin  ;  and,  leaving  Mary 
in  the  hands  of  the  maid,  she  went  down  the  stair 
with  a  light  heart,  for  the  day's  trials  were  over 
at  last,  and  she  might  cease  to  wrack  her  brain 
for  expedients  and  deceptions.  Other  guests  had 
followed   Barry,  and  the  house  was  soon  full  of 


270  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

echoing  laughter  and  snatches  of  song,  with  the 
low  hum  of  conversation,  like  the  ripple  of  a 
brook,  running  ceaselessly  underneath  the  lighter 
sounds. 

As  soon  as  Joscelyn  laid  eyes  on  Eustace  she 
knew  something  was  amiss,  and  he  was  not  long 
in  letting  her  know  what  it  was,  upbraiding  her 
bitterly  for  her  cruel  speech  of  last  night. 

"You  Avere  not  content  that  those  rude  men 
were  searching  her  house,  but  must  add  to  her 
humiliation.  What  demon  of  cruelty  possessed 
you  ? " 

"  It  was  the  meanest  thing  I  ever  did,"  she  said, 
with  something  like  a  sob ;  "  and,  Eustace,  if  you 
can  only  get  Betty  to  forgive  me,  there  is  nothing 
I  will  not  do  for  you." 

''  Small  chance  I  have  to  win  forgiveness  for 
you  or  favour  for  myself,"  he  answered  gloomily. 
"  I  wish  I  had  been  here  last  night ;  she  should 
have  known  she  had  at  least  one  friend,  though  I 
lost  ray  commission  by  it.  Only  once  have  I  seen 
her,  and  then  but  for  ten  minutes,  with  her  mother 
freezing  the  life  out  of  us  with  her  cold  stare." 

"  If  I  arrange  a  meeting  between  this  and  your 
departure,  will  you  spare  a  few  moments  from 
your  wooing  to  plead  for  me  ? " 

"  Yes ;  but  can  you  do  it  ? " 

"  Slip  away  up  to  mother's  room  and  write  her 
a  note  ;  I  will  see  that  she  gets  it  this  night,"  and, 
mollified,  he  went. 

Upstairs    in    the    attic,    shivering    under    the 


THWARTED.  271 

blankets  behind  the  big  chest,  Kichard  hearkened 
to  the  subdued  echoes  of  gayety  from  below  and 
went  over  thoughtfully  the  events  of  the  day. 
All  the  morning  and  afternoon  he  had  felt  the 
nets  closing  about  him,  and  when  he  read  Jos- 
celyn's  hasty  warning  he  knew  that  death  stood 
at  his  elbow.  Not  that  hope  died,  but  what  could 
hope  do  in  such  straights  ?  He  made  ready  as  she 
bade  him,  folding  the  blankets  and  straightening 
the  carpet,  putting  his  boots  into  a  barrel  under  a 
lot  of  old  shoes  and  odds  and  scraps.  Then  with 
his  ear  to  the  door,  he  had  waited  for  what  seemed 
a  dragging  age.  Always  his  care  was  for  Jos- 
celyn.  Even  when,  during  the  search,  the  door 
was  opened,  and  he  stood  crushed  against  the  wall 
with  his  would-be  captors  and  murderers  not  six 
feet  away,  the  uppermost  thought  in  his  mind 
was  for  her,  anxiety  for  her  safet}',  admiration 
for  her  magnificent  courage.  Slipping  out  of  the 
room  in  that  momentary  darkness,  he  had  felt  like 
a  traitor  deserting  the  thing  on  earth  dearest  to 
him,  and  had  cursed  the  fate  that  sent  him  awa}^ 
But  the  supreme  moment  came  when,  crouching 
by  her  bed,  he  saw  through  the  tester  curtain  the 
British  officer  pause  in  the  door  with  his  lifted 
light.  One  step  out  into  the  room,  and  the  flimsy 
curtain  could  not  have  hidden  the  figure  of  the 
man  behind  it.  On  that  one  more  step  hung  life 
or  death.  Breathless,  Richard  waited,  his  un- 
sheathed dirk  in  his  hand.  He  knew  this  man, — 
hated  as  no  other  Englishman  was  hated  throug'h 


272  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE, 

the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  —  standing 
thus  unconscious  of  any  danger,  was  utterly  within 
his  power.  One  strong  upward  blow  where  the 
heart  was  left  uncovered  by  tlie  lifted  arm,  and 
the  cause  of  American  liberty  would  lose  one  of 
its  deadliest  enemies.  But  the  guards  below,  the 
soldiers  swarming  in  the  street  —  and  Joscelyn! 
At  thought  of  her  the  murderous  instinct  in  his 
soul  was  quelled,  and  without  so  much  as  a  relaxed 
muscle,  he  saw  Tarleton  turn  from  the  room. 
Then  he  had  hidden  himself  more  carefully  and 
waited  for  her  coming.  Mistaking  for  her  the 
maid  who  came  to  light  the  fire,  he  was  near  to 
self-betrayal ;  and  he  could  not  remember  how  he 
had  gotten  out  of  sight  when  later  on  Mary  burst 
into  the  room  ;  but  lying  now  at  full  length  under 
the  sloping  rafters,  he  smiled  at  the  measures 
Joscelyn  had  used  to  dispose  of  her,  recognizing 
that  subtle  loyalty  which  would,  in  dire  straits, 
give  up  a  friend's  love  secret  to  another,  but  would 
not  without  an  effort  sacrifice  that  friend's 
modesty. 

Brave  girl,  what  a  spirit  and  resolution  ^vere 
hers !  And  yet  he  had  seen  her  cry  over  a  dead 
wren  and  flinch  from  the  sight  of  his  hunting-gun. 
And  how  many  trials  and  perils  he  had  drawn 
upon  her  by  his  presence,  although  if  taken  he  had 
resolved  to  live  only  long  enough  to  proclaim  her 
blameless.  Well,  when  the  revel  down  below 
should  be  over,  he  would  steal  away,  for  he  would 
be  a  source  of  danger  to  her  no  more.     And,  be- 


THWARTED.  273 

sides,  Greene  needed  his  information.  He  must 
face  his  fate  and  take  what  chances  he  might ; 
that  was  a  scout's  fate  and  duty ;  and  so  he  planned 
his  course.  B}^  and  by  he  left  his  couch  and  stood 
at  the  door  to  try  and  separate  Joscelyn's  voice 
from  the  medley  of  sounds  that  made  their  way 
up  to  him  ;  the  least  scrap  of  a  sentence  would  be 
as  balm  to  his  aching  heart.  But  he  listened  long 
in  vain  ;  all  was  a  confused  babble  ;  then  suddenly 
a  voice  called  her,  and  she  answered  clearly  that 
she  was  sitting  on  the  stair  wath  Captain  Barry. 
And  somebody  said,  "  Of  course."  And  then 
there  w^as  a  general  laugh  that  somehow  set 
Richard's  blood  in  a  strange  tingle  of  pain. 

So  she  was  sitting  there  just  below  him,  within 
sight  if  he  but  dared  to  crack  the  door.  And  such 
a  longing  came  upon  him  that  he  did  turn  the  key 
and  made  a  little  opening,  and  saw  the  back  of 
her  head  and  her  scarlet  bodice  as  she  bent  down 
to  some  one  sitting  below  her.  A  keen  jealousy 
smote  him  ;  who  was  her  companion,  ^vas  he 
handsome  or  homely  ?  Of  course  he  was  making 
love  to  her ;  no  one  could  look  that  close  into  her 
eyes  and  not  love  her.  And  she,  —  was  she  smil- 
ing with  the  sweet  shyness  he  loved  but  wanted 
no  other  man  to  see  ?  It  was  only  by  a  supreme 
effort  of  will  that  he  dragged  himself  away  and 
fastened  the  door  again.  Would  they  never  go, 
those  idle  gossiping  people  with  their  thoughts 
absorbed  by  pleasure  and  merriment  —  never  go 
and  let  her  come  to  him  for  just  one  minute  of 


274:  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

divine  joy  ?  How  he  hated  them  all  for  staying; 
and  above  all,  how  he  hated  that  man  on  the  stairs 
whispering  his  heart  into  her  ear. 

Presently  there  came  the  clatter  of  dishes,  and 
then  he  remembered  he  had  had  no  supper  and  it 
must  be  close  upon  midnight.  With  the  coming 
of  the  dark  the  wind  had  risen  and  the  garret  was 
bitterly  cold ;  but  busy  with  plans  for  his  escape 
and  with  thoughts  of  her,  he  scarcely  noticed  how 
stiff  and  numb  his  limbs  were. 

An  hour  later  there  were  calls  of  "  good-by," 
and  the  sound  of  opening  and  closing  doors  below, 
mingled  with  shrill  feminine  voices  calling  for 
wraps,  and  out  in  the  street  the  stamping  of  horses. 
Then  silence  reigned,  and  he  knew  the  guests  had 
departed.  Presently  there  was  a  slow  tread  upon 
the  stairs,  and  Mistress  Cheshire  called  back  some 
directions  to  those  below.  Then  a  lighter,  quicker 
step  followed,  and  Mary  Singleton  went  singing 
to  Joscelyn's  room.  Fifteen,  perhaps  twenty 
minutes  of  intense  silence  went  by,  and  then  a 
slender  thread  of  light  shone  under  the  door ;  and 
so  faint  as  to  be  almost  inaudible,  a  tap  fell  on  the 
panel.  Quickly  as  possible  he  drew  the  bolt  and 
opened  the  door,  but  only  just  in  time  to  see 
Joscelyn  enter  her  own  room  and  close  the  door. 
On  a  table,  in  reach  of  his  hand,  stood  a  shaded 
candle  and  beside  it  was  his  supper.  It  was  for 
this  she  had  called  him  ;  but  hungry  as  he  was,  he 
forgot  it  in  his  bitter  disappointment  that  he  was 
not  to  speak  to  her.      Time  pressed,  however,  and 


THWARTED.  275 

soon  he  was  back  in  the  attic,  devouring  the  food 
she  had  left.  Particularly  grateful  to  him  was 
the  mug  of  steaming  hot  tea. 

"  Tax  or  no  tax,  it  cheers  me  up,  temptress  that 
you  are,  sweet  Joscelyn.  Perchance  a  Continental 
toast  may  override  the  Royalist  poison  lurking 
in  it,  and  so  I  pledge  Nathaniel  Greene  and 
his  trusted  scout  —  particularly  the  scout."  He 
laughed  softly  as  he  drained  the  cup. 

Physically  he  was  strengthened  and  warmed  for 
the  flight  before  him,  but  his  heart  was  heavy  with 
disappointment  and  dread.  Once  he  abandoned 
the  idea  of  attempting  to  escape ;  the  house  had 
been  searched  and  the  guard  removed,  therefore 
he  was  safer  here  than  anywhere  else,  and  he 
must  see  her  before  he  went.  But  more  unselfish 
council  prevailed  ;  it  was  not  his  safety  only  that 
must  be  considered.  Tlie  knowledge  he  had  gained 
would  be  of  inestimable  value  to  Greene ;  the  going 
of  the  guard  left  the  way  open  to  him,  and  it  was 
duty,  not  personal  inclination,  that  must  dictate 
his  course. 

He  waited  until  the  tall  clock  below  chimed  one, 
and  then  made  ready  for  his  departure.  He  had 
resolved  not  to  tell  Joscelyn  of  his  plans  even  if 
he  might  have  spoken  with  her,  for  he  wanted 
her  sleep  troubled  by  no  anxiety  for  him ;  but 
the  yearning  of  his  heart  found  expression  in  the 
farewell  he  left  upon  the  senseless  panels  of  her 
door.  Then,  boots  in  hand,  he  crept  downstairs 
and  into  the  dining  room.     Here  the   rear   door 


276  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

fastened  with  a  latch,  the  string  of  which  was 
drawn  inside  at  night.  Softly  he  stepped  out,  clos- 
ing it  behind  him,  and  stood  a  moment  pushing  the 
string  back  through  its  hole,  that  those  behind 
might  be  safe ;  then,  hugging  the  fence,  he  crept 
to  the  gate  and  was  soon  .  in  the  alley  outside. 
The  darkness,  the  soft  mud,  and  the  howlinsr 
wind  were  all  in  his  favour.  He  knew  his  waj^ 
even  in  the  gloom,  and  so,  making  now  and  then 
a  detour  to  avoid  a  public  street  or  a  possible 
sentry  post,  he  came  at  last  to  the  outskirts  of 
the  town,  keeping  always  in  the  direction  opposite 
the  British  camp.  The  bridge  he  knew  must  be 
well  guarded,  and  so  must  the  road  over  the 
mountains;  hence  he  kept  directly  across  the 
fields  to  where  the  river  bends  under  the  cliff 
called  "Lovers'  Leap."  Ahead  of  him,  behind 
a  clump  of  bushes,  burned  a  low  fire,  and  he  crept 
up  on  hands  and  knees  to  hear  what  the  two  men 
sitting  there  were  saying.  One  of  them  was  sur- 
lily poking  the  fire:  — 

"  If  we  break  camp  to-morrow,  how  the  devil 
can  we  march  over  such  soggy  roads  ? " 

"The  Guildford  road  is  not  so  bad,"  was  the 
answer;  and  although  Eichard  waited  a  long 
time,  he  heard  nothing  else.  And  so  like  a  ghost 
he  crept  into  the  drifting  rain  and  soon  gained  the 
river,  repeating  to  himself  that  last  sentence  which 
might  be  the  keynote  to  the  British  movements. 

His  knowledge  of  the  country  folk  stood  him  in 
good  stead,  for  soon  he  was  untying  a  canoe  from 


THWARTED.  277 

a  gum  tree  not  far  from  a  lonely  cabin.  Often, 
when  a  boy,  he  had  gone  with  the  owner  fishing 
in  this  boat,  tying  it  up  to  the  tree  roots  when  the 
day's  sport  was  done.  The  river  was  turbulent 
from  the  recent  downpour,  and  in  the  darkness 
he  went  further  down-stream  than  he  intended ; 
but  at  last  he  drew  into  a  cove  of  weeds  and 
reeds,  and  leaving  the  boat  there  he  plunged 
into  the  forest  beyond.  But  he  was  not  lost, 
and  ere  the  dawn  came  he  had  found  a  friend, 
and  well  mounted  he  pressed  on  to  carry  the 
news  he  had  gathered  to  the  American  camp ; 
and  as  he  rode,  he  thought  always  and  with  a 
gnawing  bitterness  of  the  view  he  had  had  of 
Joscelyn's  head  as  she  bent  down  to  catch  the  love 
words  of  that  invisible  suitor. 


CHAPTER  XXY. 


GOOD-BY,  SWEETHEART. 


•'  Yet  all  my  life  seems  going  out 
As  slow  I  turn  my  face  about 
To  go  alone  another  way,  to  be  alone 

Till  life's  last  day, 
Unless  thy  smile  can  light  the  way ! " 

—  Anon. 

TN  the  early  morning,  before  the  family  were 
-*-  astir,  Joscelyn  dressed  herself  hurriedly  and 
went  to  the  attic  door.  It  was  ajar.  With  a 
quick  premonition  of  evil,  she  entered  and  whis- 
pered Richard's  name.  No  answer  came ;  no  one 
was  there.  Then  the  truth  flashed  upon  her  —  he 
had  gone,  risking  everything  rather  than  further 
expose  her  to  discovery  and  its  dire  results.  How 
chiv^alric,  and  yet  how  insane  !  Of  course  he  would 
be  captured,  or  else  he  would  perish  with  cold  and 
hunger  this  bitter  winter  weather.  She  looked 
about  carefully ;  not  a  scrap  of  a  note  had  he  left 
to  say  good-by.  She  had  not  dared  to  wait  to 
speak  with  him  last  night,  lest  Mary  discover  them  ; 
but  now  she  reproached  herself,  feeling  that  she 
might  have  prevented  this  mad  mistake.  She  had 
meant  to  come  back  after  all  was  quiet,  but  Mary 
talked  so  long  that  for  very  shame  she  had  not 
dared  to  do  so,  dreading  his  man's  judgment  of  a 
visit  at  such  an  hour. 

278 


GOOD-BT,    SWEETHEART,  279 

She  was  now  in  a  nervous  tremor,  and  feared  to 
have  the  maids  come  in,  lest  they  announce  that 
the  spy  had  been  taken ;  and  when  they  came  but 
said  naught  of  it,  she  began  to  look  for  news  from 
outsiders.  Several  times  during  the  morning  meal 
she  glanced  across  to  Aunt  Clevering's  house  with 
such  a  tempestuous  pity  for  the  old  lady's  coming 
sorrow  that  her  eyes  shone  with  tears ;  and  her 
mother,  seeing  them,  thought  that  it  was  sorrow 
for  the  estrangement  she  had  wrought  between  the 
two  families,  and  resolved  to  tell  Ann  Clevering 
about  it. 

"  Come,  Joscelyn,"  said  Mary,  looking  up  from 
her  plate,  "  an  you  eat  no  breakfast  and  keep  your 
mouth  pulled  down  at  the  corners  like  that,  we'll 
be  thinking  Captain  Barr}^  left  unsaid  the  things 
he  should  have  said  last  night." 

"I  know  not  what  you  think  he  should  have 
said  —  but  he  was  very  charming,"  the  girl  said, 
rousing  herself. 

"  Particularly  when  you  two  sat  on  the  stair  and 
whispered  so  long." 

"  The  time  seemed  long  to  you  because  just  at 
that  time  Edward  Moore  was  talking  with  Pattie 
Newsom." 

"  Well,"  answered  Mary,  tossing  her  head,  "  it 
was  quite  as  long  to  him,  for  he  said  it  seemed 
years  while  he  was  from  me." 

"  Poor  Pattie  !  " 

But  all  the  time  she  jested  her  heart  was  full ; 
and  she  kept  her  eyes  on  the  opposite  house  or 


280  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

watched  those  who  passed  in  the  street  to  guess, 
if  possible,  if  they  carried  news  to  the  commander's 
quarters.  The  rain  had  passed  in  the  night,  but 
toward  dawn  the  wind  had  crystallized  it  into  sleet, 
so  that  in  the  sun  the  ice-dight  world  sparkled  like 
a  jewel  catching  the  light  upon  its  many  facets 
and  kindling  each  with  a  different  flame ;  every- 
where was  a  brilliant  silvery  glisten  with  gleams 
of  amethyst  and  agate,  ochre  and  opal  like  momen- 
tary meteors  in  the  marvellous  dazzle.  What  a 
day  to  be  hunted  across  countrj'^  like  a  wild  animal 
by  human  bloodhounds !  What  a  day  to  die  by  a 
bullet,  or,  worse  still,  on  yonder  historic  hill  as 
the  Regulators  died  ! 

The  hours  wore  on,  and  still  no  tidings  came. 
Joscelyn  went  restlessly  from  room  to  room, 
unable  to  fix  her  attention  upon  anything.  It 
was  close  upon  ten  o'clock  when  the  thud  of 
hoofs  resounded  outside,  and  a  minute  after 
Barry  entered  the  room.  Evidently  the  news 
he  brought  was  of  a  gloomy  character,  for  his 
face  was  clouded. 

"  The  spy  —  they  have  caught  him ! "  Joscelyn 
cried,  leaning  heavily  on  her  chair. 

"The  spy?  What  do  you  mean  —  what  is  the 
matter  that  you  are  so  pale?"  The  solicitude  in 
his  voice  was  not  unmixed  with  a  curious  surprise. 
Then  when  she  hesitated  over  her  answer,  he 
said ;  coming  quite  close  to  her,  "  Why  are  you 
so  interested  in  this  spy  ? " 

Then    in    a    moment    she   was    herself    again. 


GOOD-BY,    SWEETHEART.  281 


"They  say  it  was  he  who  saved  my  life  on  the 
commons ;  should  I  be  true  to  my  womanhood  if 
I  dismissed  him  from  my  thoughts?  I  tell  you 
frankly  I  wish  him  well." 

She  returned  his  gaze  quietly,  and  he  took  her 
hand  with  a  deference  that  was  an  apology.  "  And 
I,  too,  wish  him  well  for  that  service,  no  matter 
what  he  may  have  carried  to  his  general  to  our 
undoing  —  for  he  has  not  been  taken.  I  am  a 
soldier  and  a  servant  of  the  king,  but  in  my 
heart  of  hearts  your  safety  is  more  than  the 
safety  of  Lord  Cornwallis's  whole  command." 

His  reward  was  a  dazzling  smile  and  an  invita- 
tion to  sit  with  her  upon  the  sofa,  which  action 
brought  him  within  a  foot  of  her.  He  longed 
to  lessen  even  that  distance,  but  comforted  him- 
self with  the  thought  that  his  hand  might  creep 
to  hers  at  the  first  softening  of  her  manner. 

"  What  made  you  think  I  brought  news  of  the 
spy?" 

"  You  were  so  grave  I  thought  naught  but  an 
execution  could  be  in  progress." 

"It  is  indeed  a  kind  of  execution,  for  this  is  to 
be  my  good-by,"  he  said  sadly.  "We  march  in 
two  hours ;  already  camp  is  broken,  and  prepara- 
tions are  being  made." 

"And  this  decision  was  reached  —  ?" 

"  Late  last  night  at  a  couhcil  of  oflBcers.  This 
spy  has  carried  away  information  about  our  posi- 
tion that  Greene  could  use  to  our  defeat ;  that, 
with  other  reasons,  brought  about   the   decision. 


282  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

I  did  not  sleep  one  moment  for  thinking  of 
leaving  you." 

"And  the  search  for  the  spy  is  given  over?" 

"  Yes." 

She  could  not  repress  a  sigh  of  relief,  but  he  did 
not  so  interpret  it.  Mary  had  withdrawn  to  the 
window,  and  her  mother  had  left  the  room  ;  they 
two  might  as  well  have  been  alone. 

"  My  God,  how  I  shall  miss  you ! "  cried  the 
young  fellow  at  last,  desperately.  "  You  see  I 
never  loved  a  woman  before,  and  so  I  know  not 
how  to  bear  this  parting." 

"You  are  a  soldier,"  she  said  gently.  "A  sol- 
dier endures  any  pain  manfully." 

"  Yes,  but  no  sword  thrust  ever  hurt  like  this. 
You  are  glad  you  have  met  rae  ? " 

"  "^ery  glad." 

"  And  you  will  miss  me  and  think  of  me  some- 
times?" 

"  Many  times." 

"And  when  the  war  is  over,  I  may  come  back 
and  —  and  claim  your  love  ? " 

He  had  taken  her  hand,  and  she  could  not  at 
once  draw  it  away,  for  a  strange  hesitation  was 
upon  her.  "  I  cannot  promise,"  she  said  at  last. 
"  Ten  days  ago  I  did  not  know  you." 

"  Yes,  but  ten  hours  taught  my  heart  its  lesson 
for  life,  and  war  makes  quick  wooing." 

She  slowly  but  firmly  drew  her  hand  away. 
"  I  cannot  promise ;  but  I  love  no  one  else." 

"  Then  I  will  wait  and  hope." 


GOOD-BY,    SWEETHEART.  283 

A  few  minutes  later  a  bugle  sent  its  shrill  call 
down  the  wind.  He  sprang  up  and  hastily  shook 
hands  with  Mary  and  Mistress  Cheshire,  who  had 
just  returned  to  the  room ;  but,  answering  his 
pleading  glance,  Joscelyn  followed  him  into  the 
hall  that  the  others  might  not  witness  the  emo- 
tion of  his  parting  with  herself. 

"Try  to  love  me,"  he  said,  and  was  gone;  and 
watching  him  as  he  passed  out  of  sight,  she  felt 
that  her  hands  were  wet  with  the  boyish  tears  that 
had  fallen  on  them  as  he  carried  them  to  his  lips 
in  a  fervid  farewell.  And  suddenly  she  asked 
herself  what  happier  fate  awaited  her  than  to 
accept  this  love  poured  out  so  prodigally  at  her 
feet.  The  question  brought  serious  thoughts,  so 
Mary  found  her  but  dull  company  until  other 
visitors  arrived  to  say  also  their  farewells.  One 
of  these  brought  a  note  from  Lord  Cornwallis. 
"Would  she  not  come  and  witness  their  departure  ? 

"  Mother,"  she  said,  coming  downstairs  in  her 
habit,  "  I  shall  not  be  at  home  this  afternoon  ; 
call  Betty  over  to  sort  her  wools  out  of  my  knit- 
ting-bag ;  she  will  find  it  on  the  spinet.  And 
while  she  works  over  it,  go  you  once  more  to 
Aunt  Clevering's,  if  you  please,  and  intercede 
for  me ;  Betty  will  not  mind  being  left." 

Thus  did  she  plan  to  leave  the  way  open  to 
Eustace  for  a  hasty  farewell  to  his  sweetheart. 

A  little  past  noon  the  drums  rolled  out  their 
hoarse  commands,  and  the  British  army  was  on 
the  move.     An  unrestrained  excitement  ran  riot 


284:  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

in  the  town.  There  were  blaring  bugles  and 
flaunting  flags,  and  everywhere  glimmers  of  red 
as  the  corps  passed  onward.  At  the  head  of  the 
British  columns  rode  Lord  Cornwallis,  and  at  his 
bridle-rein  went  Mistress  Joscelvn,  the  picture  of 
good  humour  and  coquetry,  with  a  scarlet  cockade 
in  her  hat,  and  an  officer's  sash  tied  jauntil}'  across 
her  breast  from  shoulder  to  waist.  The  rich  colour 
of  the  silk  brought  out  by  contrast  the  sea-blue 
lights  in  her  eyes  and  the  glossy  gleams  of  her 
hair.  Men  forgot  the  martial  pageant  to  look  at 
her;  and  when  at  the  home  pier  of  the  river  bridge 
the  staff  paused,  the  salutes  from  the  passing  sol- 
diers were  as  much  for  her  as  for  the  general  be- 
side her.  There  the  parting  came,  the  officers 
falling  in  at  the  rear  of  the  troops  when  the  last 
company  had  passed  over.  As  Eustace  passed 
Joscelyn,  he  lifted  the  lapel  of  his  coat,  on  which 
was  a  purple  aster,- — the  like  of  which  grew  no- 
where save  in  Betty's  dormer  window,  —  and  said 
with  a  happy  smile  :  — 

"  Your  plan  worked  well,  sweet  Joscelyn.  Ten 
minutes  of  heaven  compensate  a  man  for  hours  of 
purgatory.  May  the  fates  be  as  kind  to  your  own 
heart." 

But  it  was  Barrv  who  lingered  behind  the 
others  for  one  last  look  and  word,  and  then  went 
clattering  over  the  bridge,  and  left  the  girl  to 
return  to  the  town  with  the  few  Tory  women 
who  had  dared  to  share  her  ride.  They  had  been 
bold  enough  at  the  start,  with  all  tlie  king's  army 


GOOD-BY,    SWEETHEART.  285 

at  their  backs,  but  to  go  back  unprotected  by 
martial  power  was  quite  another  thing;  anti- 
Toryism  would  now  hold  sway,  and  they  knew 
what  that  meant;  so  at  the  entrance  of  the  town 
the  others  turned  aside  to  find  their  homes,  which 
fortunately  were  near  at  hand.  But  Joscelyn  lived 
at  the  far  end  of  the  town,  and  must  needs  pass 
the  whole  length  of  King  Street  ere  she  gained 
her  door. 

The  street,  which  for  the  past  week  had  been 
almost  deserted  by  the  patriotic  townspeople,  now 
swarmed  with  eager  men  and  women ;  but  Josce- 
lyn's  thoughts  were  too  full  of  Richard's  escape 
and  Barry's  wooing  for  her  to  note  the  angry 
glances  directed  toward  her.  It  was  not  until 
she  was  passing  the  wooden  building  that  had 
served  Cornwallis  as  headquarters  for  his  staff, 
that  she  became  aware  of  the  hostility  she  was 
exciting.  Then  a  voice  called  out  to  her  to  take 
off  that  hated  insignia  she  wore ;  and  ere  she  real- 
ized what  was  happening,  four  or  five  boys  had 
surrounded  her  horse  and  were  snatching  at  the 
sash  ends  that  dangled  from  her  waist.  Her 
anger  iiaraed  up  to  a  white  heat  at  this  insult, 
and  she  laid  about  her  with  her  riding-whip  until 
they  let  her  be.  A  volley  of  light  missiles  fol- 
lowed her  as  she  went  on  her  way,  her  horse 
curbed  to  a  walk  because  she  was  too  proud  to 
seem  to  fly.  The  same  pride  kept  her  from  dodg- 
ing the  paper  balls  and  bits  of  soft  mud  that 
rained  around  her,  and  now  and  then  struck  her 


286  JOSCELYN    CHESHIEE. 

skirts  and  shoulders.  Thus,  looking  neither  to 
the  right  nor  the  left,  she  went  slowly  onward 
until  a  little  urchin,  springing  to  the  middle  of 
the  road  in  front  of  her,  shouted  insolently  :  — 

"  Out  upon  you  for  a  Tory  jade !  " 

His  companions  screamed  their  encouragement, 
thinking  to  see  her  discomforted ;  but  leaning  out 
of  her  saddle  she  said,  with  that  smile  that  had 
played  havoc  with  so  many  older  hearts :  — 

"  Thank  you,  Jamie,  for  calling  me  such  a 
beautiful  name.  Were  the  examples  I  helped 
you  to  work  last  week  quite  right?  You  must 
come  again  when  you  get  in  trouble  over  them, 
that  I  may  save  you  from  another  flogging." 

The  boy,  remembering  her  timely  aid,  drew 
back  abashed,  dropping  the  mud  he  had  been 
wadding  together  in  his  grimy  hand ;  and  taking 
advantao:e  of  the  momentarv  cessation  of  hostili- 
ties,  Joscelyn  waved  them  a  laughing  salute  and 
cantered  away  to  her  own  door.  But  in  the 
privacy  of  her  room  she  broke  down  and  sobbed 
out  the  excitement  and  suspense  of  the  past  two 
days.  The  courage  which  had  defied  and  cheated 
Tarleton  and  put  the  riotous  urchins  to  shame 
melted  away  in  that  burst  of  tears,  and  a  woman- 
like longing  for  protection  and  safety  surged 
through  her.  If  she  might  only  go  away,  or  if 
there  were  but  some  one  to  stand  between  her 
and  this  weary  persecution  ! 

The  first  object  upon  which  her  eyes  rested  as 
she  lifted  her  head  when  the  weeping  was  past. 


GOOD-BY,    SWEETHEART.  287 

was  that  ill-fated  scarf  with  which  Barry  had 
decorated  her  that  morning  at  headquarters. 
What  a  world  of  meaning  there  was  in  it !  Per- 
haps nothing  could  so  have  drawn  her  heart  to 
the  absent  officer  as  this  silent  messenger  of  his 
love.  She  folded  it  away  carefully,  lingering  a 
moment  ere  she  shut  it  from  sight  to  recall  those 
last  words  he  had  whispered  in  her  ear  ere  he  fol- 
lowed his  comrades  over  the  river.  All  the  rest 
of  the  day  they  echoed  in  her  thoughts,  calming 
her  by  their  earnest  tenderness. 

"  Betty  came  for  her  wools  ? "  she  asked  her 
mother  at  bedtime. 

"Yes.  And  I  forgot  to  tell  you  that  after  I 
had  gone  from  the  house  Eustace  Singleton  came 
to  say  good-by  to  you.  When  I  returned  from 
Ann's,  I  found  him  in  the  parlour,  where  his  pres- 
ence must  greatly  have  annoyed  Betty,  for  she 
was  red  and  flustered.  I  am  sure  I  w^as  sorry, 
but  I  was  in  no  way  to  blame  for  her  disturb- 
ance." And  then  tearfully  she  went  on  to  tell 
how  her  mission  with  Aunt  Clevering  had  again 
failed. 

The  change  that  came  upon  Hillsboro'  with  the 
going  of  the  British  was  as  swift  as  it  was  pro- 
nounced. Where  before  had  been  sullen  repres- 
sion among  the  people,  all  was  now  animation  and 
exuberance  of  spirits;  the  Tories  were  intimi- 
dated, and  the  place  bristled  with  patriotic  evi- 
dences. It  was  as  though  a  slide  had  been  slipped 
in  a  stereopticon,  and   a   new  picture  projected 


288  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

upon  the  canvas.  All  the  talk  now  ran  on  Greene, 
who  had  moved  down  from  the  Dan  and  lay 
upon  the  heights  of  Troublesome  Creek,  only 
thirteen  miles  from  where  Cornwallis  had  pitched 
his  own  camp.  For  nearly  two  weeks  the  entire 
country  w^atched  with  panting  interest  these  two 
generals  play  their  advance-guards  and  recon- 
noitring parties  against  each  other  as  though 
they  were  so  many  ivory  figures  upon  a  chess- 
board. Then  came  the  meeting  at  Guildford 
Court-house,  the  fame  of  which  blew  throuo-h 
the  land  like  a  sirocco's  breath. 

"Lord  Cornwallis  has  won  the  game  at  Guild- 
ford," cried  Joscelyn. 

"  Ay,  won  it  so  hard  and  fast  that  he  has  had 
to  run  away  to  hold  the  stakes,"  retorted  Mis- 
tress Strudwick,  equally  rejoiced  over  the  British 
retreat  to  "Wilmington. 

"Had  the  militia  but  done  their  shai-e,  we  should 
have  finished  Cornwallis  for  good,"  Richard  wrote  to 
Joscelyn  after  the  battle.  "  But  praise  be  to  Heaven, 
Banastre  Tarleton  is  among  the  wounded.  I  do 
hope  and  believe  it  was  my  bullet  that  hit  him,  for 
I  singled  him  out  for  my  aim,  remembering  his  bearing 
to  you  and  my  mother  last  month.  K  so  I  hear  that 
his  wound  proves  fatal,  I  shall  wear  no  mourning." 

And,  truth  to  say,  Joscelyn  herself  sorrowed 
never  a  bit  over  the  short  colonel's  discomfiture. 
Later  on  came  another  letter  :  — 

"  We  are  on  the  march  to  the  south  to  aid  Marion, 
Sumter,  and  Pickens  to  snatch  South  Carolina  and 


GOOD-BY,    SWEETHEAKT.  289 

Georgia  from  the  foe.  We  know  of  the  terrible 
doings  of  Arnold  in  Virginia,  and  General  La  Fay- 
ette has  been  sent  to  check  him,  but  much  I  doubt 
his  success.  Ye  gods !  what  a  soldier  we  lost  when 
Arnold  went  over  to  the  enemy  in  that  traitorous 
way.  He  was  the  one  man  in  our  army  who  was 
Tarleton's  match  in  a  raid.  If  the  Marquis  catches 
him,  however,  I  should  like  to  be  at  the  reckoning. 
A  traitor  with  the  fire  of  genius  in  his  veins !  At 
Guildford  I  looked  at  his  old  command,  and  said  to 
myself  that  the  day  had  gone  differently  had  Arnold 
led  them.  Men  followed  him  like  sheep  to  victory 
or  to  death.  Think  you  what  a  demon  it  takes  to 
harrow  one's  country,  to  fight  against  one's  own 
people ! " 

As  the  weeks  passed  and  the  spring  advanced, 
Joscelyn's  position  in  the  community  grew  more 
irksome,  for  Tory  supremacy  was  at  an  end  and 
the  patriotic  spirit  was  dominant.  "  Only  the 
rudeness  of  some  excited  boys,"  the  older  folk 
had  said  of  the  incident  of  her  homeward  ride 
the  day  the  British  withdrew  ;  but  it  was  rather 
the  true  index  of  the  public  temper  against  her, 
and  not  a  day  went  by  but  she  was  made  to  feel 
it  keenly.  Never  was  an  occasion  to  annoy  her 
neglected,  until  between  her  and  her  neighbours 
was  a  bloodless  but  harassing  feud  that  destroyed 
utterly  the  old  harmony  and  good  will.  She  felt 
the  change  bitterly ;  every  neglect  or  retort 
rankled  in  her  thoughts  until  it  became  as  a 
fester  corrupting  her  happiness.  But  she  kept  a 
brave   face   to  the   world,   and    sang    her   Tory 


290  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

ballads  on  the  veranda  in  the  soft  spring  twi- 
lights, or  as  she  worked  through  the  sunny  hours 
in  the  side  yard  where  no  flowers  but  those  that 
blossomed  red  were  permitted  to  blow.  And  Mis- 
tress Strudwick  said  to  her  cronies,  with  genuine 
admirati5n,  that  twenty  Guildfords  could  not 
break  the  spirit  of  a  girl  like  that. 

But  necessarily  the  thing  that  hurt  Joscelyn 
most  was  Aunt  Clevering's  treatment.  Not  con- 
tent to  be  a  spectator,  she  often  took  the  initia- 
tive in  the  persecution  the  girl  was  made  to  suffer, 
ignoring  her  in  public  or  noticing  her  only  to  taunt 
her  with  some  uncivil  word  or  look.  A  few  sen- 
tences from  Joscelyn  might  have  swept  away  the 
barriers  and  restored  the  old  friendshiji,  but  she 
would  not  buy  her  pardon  thus.  She  possibly 
might  not  be  believed  without  the  proof  of 
Richard's  letter,  that  first  short,  fervid  missive 
he  had  sent  her  on  the  eve  of  the  great  battle ; 
and  that  she  could  not  show,  not  even  to  his  own 
mother,  such  a  heroine  did  it  make  of  her,  such  an 
ardent,  grateful  lover  of  him.  Then,  too,  if  this 
quarrel  with  Aunt  Clevering  should  be  healed, 
people  would  ask  questions,  and  when  the  truth 
should  be  known  she  would  be  in  no  better  plight 
—  a  Tory  maid  risking  everything,  even  life  itself, 
to  hide  a  Continental  spy !  Neither  friends  nor 
foes  would  understand ;  her  motives  would  be 
misinterpreted,  her  loyalty  questioned ;  and  so 
her  last  estate  would  be  no  better  than  her  first. 
Thus  did  she  hold  her  peace  and  hide  her  tears 


GOOD-BYj    SWEETHEART.  291 

under  cover  of  darkness,  the  while  by  day  she 
sang  her  daring  little  ditties  among  the  growing 
things  of  her  garden. 

Having  been  the  arch-Royalist  of  the  town,  it 
was  but  natural  that  public  resentment  should  be 
most  pronounced  against  her.  The  Singletons  and 
Moores  were  less  outspoken,  and  so  drew  upon 
themselves  less  of  contumely.  Her  caustic 
speeches,  on  the  contrary,  were  not  forgotten, 
until  Mistress  Strudwick  threatened  half  tear- 
fully, half  playfully  to  clip  her  tongue  with  her 
sharp  scissors.  But  the  chief  thing  that  kept 
alive  the  animosity  against  her  were  the  letters 
that  came  to  her  now  and  then  from  Cornwallis's 
camp.  She  did  not  deny  their  reception,  but 
steadily  refused  to  divulge  their  contents ;  and 
as  it  was  believed  that  in  one  way  or  another 
she  contrived  to  answer  them,  the  idea  got  abroad 
that  she  was  in  the  employ  of  the  British  general 
to  keep  him  posted  as  to  the  state  of  things  in 
Hillsboro'-town.  Nothing  else  could  so  have  set  the 
people  against  her  as  this  supposed  espionage,  and 
all  through  the  advancing  summer  she  felt  the 
weight  of  their  displeasure.  Mistress  Bryce  openly 
denounced  her,  boys  shouted  disrespectful  things 
under  her  window  at  night,  and  the  shopkeepers 
so  neglected  or  refused  her  orders  that,  had  it  not 
been  for  Mistress  Strudwick,  she  and  her  mother 
would  have  suffered  ;  but  that  good  friend  stood 
stanchly  by  her.  So  loud  were  the  outcries 
against  her  when  she  rode  abroad  that  out   of 


292  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

deference  to  her  mother's  wishes,  and  also  to 
save  herself  from  needless  mortification,  she 
never  had  the  saddle  put  upon  her  horse. 

And  yet  innocent  enough  were  those  letters  that 
caused  so  much  of  trouble,  filled  as  they  were,  not 
with  army  news,  but  with  a  man's  tender  love 
throes,  —  the  vehement  pleadings  of  a  heart  swayed 
by  its  first  grand  passion. 


CHAPTEK   XXYI. 

BY   THE    BELEAGUERED    CITY. 

"  Peace  ;  come  away  ;  the  song  of  woe 
Is  after  all  an  earthy  song : 
Peace  ;  come  away  ;  we  do  him  wrong 
To  sing  so  wildly  :  let  us  go." 

—  Tennyson. 

rilHE  summer  seemed  interminable,  lit  all  along 
-*-  though  it  was  with  the  glimmer  of  lilies  and 
iridescent  gleams  of  parti-coloured  roses.  It  was 
the  season  of  the  year  which  Joscelyn  loved  best ; 
but  now  the  ceaseless  sunshine,  the  mosaic  marvels 
of  the  turf,  the  kaleidoscopic  changes  of  earth  and 
sky  wearied  her,  so  that  she  longed  for  the  coming 
of  autumn.  It  came  at  last,  unfurling  its  red  and 
yellow  banners  in  the  woodlands,  and  setting  its 
russet  seal  upon  the  meadows.  And  with  it  came 
the  news  of  the  siege  of  Yorktown  ;  and  the  town 
of  Hillsboro'  waked  to  new  enthusiasm  and  thrilled 
or  shuddered  at  every  alternating  rumour. 

And  in  each  of  those  far-away  armies  on  the 
York  w^as  a  man  who  watched  the  sun  go  west- 
ward every  eve,  and  sent  a  silent  message  to  a  girl 
with  dark  hair  and  sea-blue  eyes  who  pruned  her 
roses  in  a  new  garden  of  the  Hesperides  beside  the 
Eno.     Unknown  to  each  other,  their  thoughts  had 

293 


294  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

yet  a  common  Mecca.  But  fate  was  not  content 
that  they  should  stand  thus  forever  apart. 

In  Yorktown,  CornwalHs  had  thought  to  be  safe 
either  to  escape  to  Clinton  or  be  rescued  by  that 
general's  fleet  sailing  down  the  Atlantic  from  New 
York.  But  instead  to  the  east,  in  Lynn  Haven  Bay, 
De  Grasse's  ships  held  the  passes  to  the  sea ;  while 
on  the  land  side  —  one  wing  on  York  and  one  on 
Wormley  creek  —  in  two  great  crescents  stretched 
the  lines  of  the  allied  armies,  wath  Warwick  creek 
running  darkly  between.  Over  the  tents  that 
gleamed  in  the  autumn  sunshine  there  flew,  side 
by  side,  the  stars  and  stripes  of  the  Republic  and 
the  fieur-de-lys  of  France.  And  there  were  sallies 
and  repulses,  and  daily  encroachments  and  skir- 
mishes between  the  allies  without  and  the  British 
within. 

It  so  happened  one  day  that  Richard's  com- 
pany was  detailed  to  guard  the  ditchers  who 
were  making  a  new  trench,  and  throwing  up  a 
fresh  line  of  breastworks  that  would  enable  them 
to  draw  yet  nearer  to  the  red-coated  pickets. 
Already  these  latter  had  been  forced  —  by  the 
horns  of  that  ever  encroaching  crescent  —  to  with- 
draw twice,  and  now  a  third  retreat  seemed 
imminent.  But  not  without  a  struggle  w^ould 
they  yield  their  posts  ;  and  so  presently,  on  that 
mellow  autumn  day,  a  flash  of  scarlet  came  in  the 
sun  as  an  assaulting  column  swept  out  toward  the 
projected  line  where  the  shovels  were  at  work; 
and  the  Continental  guard,  after  discharging  their 


BY    THE    BELEAGUERED    CITY.  295 

guns  with  signal  success,  waited  with  fixed  bayo- 
nets to  receive  the  advancing  column.  It  was  a 
fierce  contest  fought  almost  band  to  hand ;  then 
the  Redcoats  began  to  fall  back,  and  with  a  quick 
rush  the  Continentals  turned  their  retreat  to  a  rout. 

Returning  from  that  fierce  cliarge  with  the 
flush  of  the  fight  upon  him,  Richard  came  upon  a 
man  lying  prone  upon  his  face  in  the  stubble  —  the 
gallant  English  captain  who  had  led  the  sally. 
He  had  seen  him  as  he  fell  far  in  advance  of  his 
column.  There  the  retreat  had  left  him  inside  the 
new  lines  of  tlie  Continentals,  and  finding  him 
still  alive,  Richard  turned  him  over  softly  so  as 
not  to  start  his  wound  afresh ;  and  as  he  did  so  he 
caught  one  word  from  the  pale  lips :  — 

'"''JoscelynP 

The  name  unlocked  the  floodgates  of  the  young 
Continental's  sympathies. 

"Dunn,"  he  said  to  the  man  in  front  of  him, 
"  give  me  a  hand,  that  I  may  get  this  poor  fellow 
to  my  tent." 

"  The  surgeon  will  find  him  here  directly  and 
have  him  moved  to  the  field  hospital." 

"  He  could  not  stand  so  long  a  trip ;  see  how 
near  he  is  already  gone  with  this  bullet  hole  in  his 
side.  Come,  I  have  a  fancy  not  to  see  him  die 
here  in  the  wet  grass." 

So  Dunn  lent  his  aid,  and  the  wounded  man  was 
put  down  in  Richard's  tent,  murmuring  again  that 
talismanic  name. 

"  He  may  possibly  live  till  morning,"  the  sur- 


296  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

geon  said,  when  at  last  he  came  from  attending  to 
his  own  men,  "but  he  cannot  be  moved.  I  will 
try  and  send  some  one  to  look  after  him." 

Richard  touched  his  cap,  "  If  you  please,  I  am 
off  duty  to-night ;  I  will  willingly  nurse  him,  if  so 
you  give  me  directions." 

And  the  man  was  left  in  his  care ;  and  during 
the  slow  hours,  word  by  word  and  sentence  by 
sentence,  he  patched  together  the  fevered  ram- 
blings  of  his  patient,  until  he  knew  that  the 
Joscelyn  of  his  own  hopes  and  fears  and  dreams 
was  identical  with  the  girl  of  this  other  man's 
thoughts. 

With  the  knowledge  something  seemed  to  catch 
at  his  throat,  to  tighten  about  his  heart;  and  he 
went  out  and  stood  awhile  at  the  tent  door,  gazing 
up  into  the  clear  heavens  whose  steadfast  stars 
were  shining  also  on  the  distant  Carolina  hills, 
watching  a  window  behind  which  a  girl  lay  sleep- 
ing—  dreaming  perhaps  of  the  man  yonder  on  the 
pallet.  Had  he  lost  her  through  this  other  one  ? 
Was  his  life  to  miss  its  one  strong  purpose,  in 
missing  her  ? 

By  and  by,  when  he  was  calmer,  he  came  again  to 
the  pallet  where  the  dying  man  lay,  and  picked  up 
the  sword  which,  along  with  his  own,  \vas  propped 
against  the  canvas  wall  of  the  tent.  It  was  of  beau- 
tiful workmanship  with  a  crest  on  the  jewelled  scab- 
bard, and  below  a  graven  name  which,  by  the  light 
of  the  tallow^  dip,  Richard  at  last  spelled  out :  — 

"  Barry." 


BY    THE    BELEAGUERED    CITY.  297 

He  stood  thinking  for  a  moment.  Why,  this 
then  was  the  man  for  whom  Ellen  Singleton  had 
mistaken  him  that  night  he  played  the  squire  to 
her  in  a  borrowed  military  cloak  at  the  fete  in 
Philadelphia.  What  strange  fate  had  brought 
them  thus  together?  "The  finest  officer  who 
wears  the  red,  and  a  lady-killer,"  Dunn  had  said. 
And  that  tightness  gathered  again  at  Eichard's 
heart,  for  where  else  had  he  heard  of  the  man  ? 

Stay,  was  not  Barry  the  name  —  Yes,  it  was  the 
very  name  he  had  heard  coupled  with  Joscelyn's 
that  night  while  he  lay  hiding  in  the  freezing 
attic.  "She  is  sitting  on  the  stair  with  Captain 
Barry."  The  very  tones  of  the  speaker  came 
back  to  him,  bringing  again  that  thirsty  desire  to 
open  the  door  and  look  for  her  which  he  had  not 
been  able  to  resist,  though  life  itself  might  pay 
the  forfeit. 

He  went  back  to  the  pallet,  and  bent  down  that 
he  might  see  the  face  of  his  patient.  So  this  was 
the  man  who  had  won  her  away  from  the  rest  of 
her  company,  the  man  to  whom  she  had  bent 
down  so  low  that  from  the  rear  only  the  dark 
crown  of  her  hair  could  be  seen  as  she  sat  on  her 
steps  —  this  was  the  man  to  whose  love  tale  she 
had  listened  smilingly,  while  he  himself  was  a 
prisoner  hiding  for  his  very  life.  A  lady-killer, 
Dunn  had  said  ;  and  well  he  could  believe  it  from 
the  traces  of  manly  beauty  still  lingering  in  the 
suffering  face.  A  fierce  jealousy  tore  at  his  heart. 
Evidently,  from   his  ramblings,  Joscelyn  had  lis- 


298  JOSCELTN   CHESHIRE. 

tened  to  this  other's  wooing,  and  had  written  him 
letters,  while  she  mocked  him  and  sent  him 
never  so  much  as  one  little  line  in  answer  to  all 
the  pages  he  wrote  her.  He  had  always  known 
that  other  men  would  love  her,  —  it  could  not  be 
otherwise  with  her  sweetness  and  her  beauty,  — 
but  always  in  his  thoughts  she  had  kept  herself  for 
him.  Had  it  been  a  false  hope  ;  had  she  loved 
this  brave  Briton  who  called  upon  her  with  such 
pathos  of  tenderness?  If  so,  then  was  his  own 
dream-castle  in  ruins. 

By  and  b}^,  just  before  the  end,  there  came  a 
lucid  hour.  The  wounded  man  turned  his  eyes 
question ingly  upon  his  nurse. 

"  I  found  you  after  the  fight,  so  far  in  our  lines 
that  your  own  men  had  missed  you  in  their  retreat, 
and  the  surgeon  left  you  in  my  care,"  Richard  said 
gently. 

"  To  die  ?     Yes,  I  see  it  in  your  eyes." 
"  You  fell  at  the  head  of  your  men,  as  a  soldier 
wishes  death  to  find  him." 

The  other  smiled  faintly,  "  My  mother  will 
perchance  be  a  little  comforted  by  that.  You  will 
write  her  ? " 

"Yes—     And  Joscelyn  ? " 
"  Joscelyn  ?  —  how  do  you  happen  —  ? " 
"You  talked  of  her  in  your  delirium.     She  lives 
in  the  Carolina  hill  country.     I,  too,  know  her  and 
—  love  her." 

And  then  each  told  something  of  his  story 
to  the  other;  and  they  clasped  hands  as  brave 


BY   THE    BELEAGUEKED    CITY.  299 

men  can  when  enmity  and  prejudice  and  jeal- 
ousy are  swallowed  up  in  the  wide  sympathy 
that  lurks  forever  in  the  precincts  of  the  Great 
Shadow. 

"  And  when  the  war  is  over,  and  I  tell  her  again 
of  my  love,"  said  Eichard,  with  that  impulsive 
generosity  that  was  ever  one  of  his  characteristics, 
"I  will  tell  her  also  of  3'^ours  —  and  mayhap 
she  will  choose  rather  to  cherish  your  memory 
than  to  give  herself  to  me." 

And  Barry  turned  his  face  to  the  wall  and  died, 
whispering  his  love  for  her  to  the  last.  It  was  a 
strange  scene,  this  midnight  confessional  between 
two  men  who,  all  unknown  to  each  other,  had 
striven  for  the  same  heart-goal  — who  in  life  would 
have  been  bitter  and  unrelenting  rivals,  but  who 
met  and  parted  amid  the  shadows  of  death  as 
friends  and  brothers.  Richard  wrote  it  all  to 
Joscelyn,  eloquently,  passionately ;  portraying 
faithfully  every  emotion  of  the  dying  man. 

"He  loved  you,  Joscelyn,  even  as  I  do  ;  only  not  so 
much,  for  methinks  no  man  could  do  that.  But  he 
was  brave  and  manly,  and  to  have  won  his  heart  is 
proof  of  your  sweetness  and  worth.  He  told  me  many 
things  of  that  fearful  night  when  I  lay  up  in  your  gar- 
ret, and  do^vnstairs  you  held  your  guests  from  all  sus- 
picion by  your  tact  and  courage.  He  hated  Tarleton 
for  his  distrust  of  you,  and  I  let  him  go  to  the  far 
Shore  in  ignorance  of  how  you  saved  me,  fearing  that 
be  ^^juld  not  understand,  and  that  his  last  moments 
would  be  imbittered  by  a  useless  jealousy. 

"  Did  you  love  him  ?    Ami  breaking  your  heart  with 


300  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

this   news,   my   best   beloved?      If   so,  remember,  I 
beseech  you,  how  my  own  would  break  to  know  it." 

And  Joscelyn  read  the  letter  by  tlie  fading  sun- 
set, and  then  sat  with  wet  eyes  through  the  star- 
haunted  gloaming,  thinking  of  the  young  life  that 
had  gone  out  in  the  red  trail  of  war.  She  missed 
him  as  it  did  not  seem  possible  she  could  have 
missed  any  one  who  had  been  so  short  a  while  in 
her  consciousness. 

And  sitting  thus  alone  with  her  sorrow,  she  felt 
a  hand  on  hers  and  an  arm  slip  around  her  neck. 

"  Joscelyn,  I  could  not  stay  away  any  longer," 
whispered  Betty's  voice  in  the  dark.  "  I  had  both 
of  your  notes  ;  I  know  you  are  sorry,  and  I  miss 
you  so  much  ! " 

"  Dear  Betty,  dear  Betty,  how  glad  I  am  you 
are  come !  I  cannot  tell  you  how  lonely  and 
wretched  my  life  is,  and  now  my  —  my  true  friend 
is  gone  !  "  and  with  her  head  on  the  girl's  bosom, 
she  gave  way  to  a  nervous  sobbing. 

"  Did  you  love  him  ?  "  Betty  asked,  when  at  last 
she  understood. 

"I  —  I  do  not  know ;  but  I  have  so  few  friends, 
and  he  loved  me  and  trusted  me,  and  I  shall  miss 
him." 

"  Did  you  wish  to  marry  him  ? " 

"  I  cannot  say.  Sometimes  when  I  have  been 
very  lonely,  and  you  all  turned  from  me,  I  have 
thought  I  did.  To  marry  him  and  go  away  to  a 
new  place  and  new  friends  seemed  best.  He  was 
strong  and  brave,  but  he  was  gentle  and  consid- 


BY   THE    BELEAGUERED   CITY.  301 

erate,  and  he  never  hectored  me  —  a  girl  likes  not 
to  be  hectored  and  quarrelled  with  in  her  courting." 

"  No,"  answered  Betty,  sadl}',  understanding  she 
had  Richard  in  mind.  Often,  with  a  Avoraan's 
instinct,  she  had  pleaded  with  her  brother  to 
humour  Joscelyn  more  in  her  way  of  looking  at 
things ;  but  he  had  chosen  to  attempt  to  set  her 
right,  or,  at  least,  right  as  he  saw  it. 

"  I  must  be  going ;  mother  is  at  Mistress  Strud- 
wick's  and  will  be  angry  if  she  knows  I  came 
here,"  Betty  said  at  last,  rising  with  a  sigh.  But 
Joscelyn  held  her  back  with  both  hands. 

"  Not  yet,  Betty,  not  yet ;  we  can  see  her  far 
down  the  street  by  the  lights  from  the  windows. 
Stay  a  little  longer ;  it  is  such  a  comfort  to  have 
you." 

"  I  wish  I  could  come  without  this  deception." 

"I,  too,  with  all  my  heart." 

"  You  had  a  letter  to-day ;  was  it  from  Master 
Singleton  ? " 

"No;  it  was  this  sad  one  from  Richard,  by  the 
same  messenger  that  brought  yours.  The  last 
letter  I  had  from  Eustace  was  the  one  I  sent  you 
some  two  weeks  ago.  Since  he  was  then  on  the 
eve  of  going  to  New  York  to  carry  letters  to 
General  Clinton,  it  is  not  likely  he  is  among  those 
in  the  beleaofuered  citv  of  Yorktown." 

"I  have  been  so  glad  to  think  this,"  Betty 
answered,  sighing.  "  Do  you  know,  Joscelyn,  I 
saw  him  in  the  parlour  yonder  for  a  few  minutes 
the  day  the  British  marched  ? " 


802  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

"  Yes ;  I  told  mother  to  have  you  here,  and 
then  I  sent  him  back  from  headquarters." 

Betty  kissed  her  gratefully.  "  I  might  have 
guessed  it.  It  was  such  a  happy  ten  minutes ! 
But,  Joscelyn,  mother  never  mentions  his  name 
except  to  remind  me  that  his  father  and  mine 
were  bitter  enemies." 

"  Wait  until  Bichard  comes  home  ;  he  doubtless 
will  look  at  matters  differently ;  and  as  he  says, 
so  will  your  mother  do." 

"  Not  unless  you  plead  for  me ;  and  even  that 
may  not  now  avail,  for  he  may  share  mother's 
anger  against  you." 

"  Bichard  will  not  be  angry  with  me  when  he 
returns,"  Joscelyn  answ^ered  confidentl}' ;  and 
Betty  kissed  her  softly. 

"  Oh,  Joscelyn,  if  it  could  only  have  been  Bich- 
,ard  instead  of  Captain  Barry  to  win  even  this 
much  of  your  heart !  But  there,  I  must  be  going ; 
some  one  is  coming  down  the  street." 

"  You  will  come  again  sometime  ? " 

"  Yes,  for  I  have  wanted  you  so  much." 

"  And  I  you." 

They  held  each  other  close  for  a  moment,  and 
then  Betty  ran  across  the  street  and  dodged  into 
the  shadow  of  her  own  door.  Her  visit  helped 
Joscelyn  immeasurably,  in  that  it  gave  her  a 
sense  of  sympathy.  But  she  could  not  shake  off 
the  depression  of  Richard's  news  ;  it  was  a  cul- 
mination of  the  long  strain  upon  her  nervous  sys- 
tem.    In  the  succeeding  days  she  had  fits  of  silent 


BY   THE    BELEAGUERED    CITY.  303 

brooding  which  sometimes,  in  the  sombre  twi- 
lights, ended  in  tears.  For  the  first  time  since 
the  news  of  Lexington,  her  neighbours  found  her 
grave  and  preoccupied.  The  fearless  badinage 
with  which  she  had  met  every  attack  upon  her 
partisan  creed  was  suddenly  stayed,  as  though 
she  heard  not  their  thrusts  and  innuendoes.  And 
Mistress  Strudwick  watched  her  with  a  vague 
uneasiness,  longing  to  see  the  old,  quick  passion 
flame  up  now  and  then. 

But  this  frame  of  mind  was  rudely  broken  by 
the  thrilling  news  of  the  fall  of  Yorktown.  She 
had  expected  it  for  days,  but  the  reality  roused 
all  of  her  former  spirit,  and  put  her  once  more 
upon  the  defensive. 

"Lord  Cornwallis  has  surrendered?"  she  said 
calmly  to  Amanda  Bryce  and  the  two  gossips, 
who  had  run  in  to  tell  her  the  news  and  to  gloat 
over  her  discomfiture.  '"Tis  most  courteous  of 
you  to  bring  me  the  information  so  swiftly ;  you 
are  quite  out  of  breath  with  your  race.  I  shall 
immediately  write  my  sincere  condolences  to  his 
lordship  that  wrong  has  triumphed  over  right. 
Will  you  not  have  a  cup  of  tea  with  me,  ladies  ? 
—  there  is  no  longer  any  tax.  iN'o?  Then  I  have 
the  honour  to  wish  you  a  very  good  morning. 
Pray  come  again  when  you  have  further  tidings." 

She  set  the  door  open  for  them  with  the  air  of 
a  sovereign  condescending  to  her  subjects;  and 
they  went  away  humiliated  and  furious. 

"From   the  airs  she  gives  herself,  one   would 


304r  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

think  Joscel^m  Cheshire  had  royal  blood  in  her 
veins,"  they  said  angrily.  But  when  Mistress 
Strudwick  heard  of  the  scene,  she  laughed  long 
and  heartily. 

"  They  deserved  it,  the  carping  crones !  Would 
I  had  been  there  to  see  them  routed.  Thank 
Heaven  her  spirit  has  come  back ;  how  I  love  her 
for  it,  unreconstructed  Tory  as  she  is ! " 

Never  again  was  Joscelyn  to  deck  herself  in  her 
scarlet  bodice  in  honour  of  an  Enghsh  victory ; 
never  again  to  tease  her  neighbours  with  her 
taunting  Tory  ballads.  The  war  was  over;  she 
had  lost  her  cause ;  and  with  her  life  all  out  of 
attune  with  her  surroundings  she  must  face  the 
inevitable.  Seeing  the  relief  in  her  mother's 
face,  she  could  not  be  sorry  that  peace  had  come, 
though  the  terms  were  bitter ;  and  so  even  in  her 
loss  was  there  something  of  compensation. 


CHAPTER   XXVII. 

HOMECOMINGS. 

*'  The  bugles  sound  the  swift  recall ; 
Cling,  clang  !  backward  all  ! 
Home,  and  good  night !  " 

—  E.  C.  Stedman. 

rriHE  war  was  over ;  the  drums  lay  unbeaten, 
-*-  the  snarling  trumpets  sang  their  songs  no 
more  upon  the  level  plains  or  sloping  sides  of  far 
blue  hills ;  liberty  had  triumphed,  and  the  scarlet 
insignia  of  kingly  rule  had  gone  from  the  land 
forever.  But  peace  did  not  bring  the  desired 
order  of  things.  The  unstable  government  of  an 
untrained  congress  could  not  control  the  spirit  of 
maraud  and  chaos  that  had  so  lono-  dominated 
certain  classes  of  people.  Eight  years  of  warfare 
had  left  its  scar  on  the  whole  country,  but  partic- 
ularly in  those  portions  where  the  fighting  had 
fallen.  The  sanguine  among  the  triumphant  con- 
testants had  looked  for  an  immediate  rehabilita- 
tion of  affairs,  thinking  that  the  taps  of  war  would 
be  the  reveille  of  commerce  and  order  and  pros- 
perity. But  as  yet  Americans  were  better  soldiers 
than  statesmen.  They  had  to  learn  to  govern 
themselves,  learn  to  wield  the  mighty  power  they 
bad    won;  and   at  first   knowledge   was  slow  in 

305 


306  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

coming.  Private  wrongs  were  remembered,  in- 
dividual grievances  were  recalled.  The  spirit  that 
refrained  from  shouting  over  a  fallen  foe  at  York- 
town  manifested  itself  at  home  in  many  petty 
ways  against  the  defeated  Tories,  so  that  among 
these  latter  was  a  feeling  of  unprotected  helpless- 
ness that  made  them  sullen  and  restive. 

"  Joscelyn,"  Mary  Singleton  said,  coming  in  one 
day  when  the  winter  was  at  its  fiercest,  "  father 
says  he  is  going  to  Canada  to  stay  until  things  get 
settled.  We  cannot  stir  from  our  gate  without 
receiving  some  rudeness,  and  our  property  is 
threatened  with  confiscation,  piece  by  piece,  on  the 
ground  that  we  used  it  to  aid  the  king's  cause. 
Will  you  come  with  us  ?  We  would  love  to  have 
you." 

"  No,  for  my  mother  would  not  think  of  such  a 
thing ;  and  where  she  is,  there  will  I  stay." 

"  Well,  you  had  no  man  in  the  war  ;  but  against 
us  the  enmity  is  strong,  because  Eustace  actually 
bore  arms  in  the  king's  service." 

"  Will  Eustace  go  with  you  ? " 

"  No ;  he  writes  that  as  soon  as  he  gets  his  dis- 
charge, he  means  to  return  here  and  accept  what- 
ever fate  comes  to  him." 

"  I  am  glad.  That  is  the  right  way  to  take  hi? 
defeat.  Your  father  is  old  and  worn  with  annoy 
ance,  but  Eustace  is  young  enough  to  meet  the 
struggle  and  win  his  way.  Trust  me ;  all  will 
be  well  with  him  in  the  end,"  and  Joscelyn's  eyes 
were  on  Betty's  window  over  the  way. 


HOMECOMINGS.  307 

"  Edward  Moore  joins  us  in  New  York,"  Marj 
said,  with  a  blush. 

"  And  I  shall  not  be  there  to  play  the  part  of 
bridesmaid !  Well,  I  shall  content  myself  with 
putting  a  handful  of  rice  and  an  old  shoe  into 
your  trunk." 

After  the  Singletons  were  gone,  Joscelyn  was 
very  lonely,  for  the  only  house  at  which  a  welcome 
always  met  her  was  Mistress  Strud wick's. 

"  You  may  say  what  you  please,  Amanda  Bryce, 
but  that  girl  comes  here  when  she  likes,  and  stays 
as  long  as  she  pleases ;  and  if  there  is  anybody 
I'm  gladder  to  see,  I  do  not  know  who  it  is,"  said 
the  stanch  old  lady. 

Soundl}'^  she  lectured  Joscelyn  at  times,  but  the 
fault-finding  always  began  and  ended  with  a 
caress,  so  there  was  no  sting  in  it.  Here  the  girl 
sometimes  met  Betty  ;  and  the  older  woman,  seeing 
the  desire  of  their  hearts  shining  in  their  faces, 
encouraged  them  to  be  friends.  Here,  too,  Janet 
Canieron  often  came,  and  after  the  visit  walked 
home  openly  with  her  arm  in  Joscelyn's,  making 
merry  little  mouths  at  Mistress  Bryce  as  they 
passed  her  door.  These  visits  and  walks  Avere 
Joscelyn's  chief  pleasure,  and  she  stood  sorely  in 
need  of  recreation,  for  of  late  she  was  thinner  and 
more  irritable  than  her  mother  had  ever  seen  her. 

"  You  need  a  course  of  bitters,"  Mistress  Strud- 
wick  said,  opening  her  medicine-box  one  day. 

"I  have  been  takino:  such  a  course  for  eight 
years." 


308  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

"Yes,  Amanda  Bryce's  tongue  drips  not  with 
honey !  But  I  shall  talk  with  your  mother,  and 
between  us  we  will  take  you  in  hand  and  get  the 
edge  off  your  nerves."  So  Joscelyn  dutifully 
yielded  herself  to  her  two  physicians,  who  took 
much  delight  in  the  teas  and  tonics  they  brewed 
for  her. 

During  all  these  autumn  and  winter  weeks, 
Kichard  Clevering  had  lain  in  the  field  hospital  at 
Yorktown,  racked  with  pain  and  fever  from  the 
wound  he  got  when  —  singing  a  song  of  the  Caro- 
lina hills — his  regiment  stormed  that  gun-girt  bas- 
tion on  the  British  left,  and  the  colonies  were  free ! 

Things  would  have  gone  better  with  him  had 
he  been  content  to  lie  still  and  let  the  bones  knit ; 
but  he  could  not  stay  away  from  that  last  scene 
of  the  surrender,  which  made  all  the  privations  of 
the  past  worth  while.  To  miss  that  was  to  miss 
the  joy  of  life,  the  glory  of  the  fight,  the  crown 
of  the  conqueror ;  and  so  he  had  pretended  to  be 
much  stronger  than  he  was,  and  had  gone  to 
stand  in  his  place  when  the  British,  with  silent 
drums  and  cased  banners,  marched  from  their  sur- 
rendered fortifications,  and  stacked  arms  between 
the  martial  lines  of  French  and  Continentals. 
The  sight  compensated  him  for  the  pain  the 
exertion  entailed,  so  that  he  never  complained 
when,  afterw^ards,  the  surgeon  shook  his  head 
gravely  over  the  fever  that  flushed  his  veins. 
He  had  had  his  heart's  desire ;  he  would  bear  its 
results. 


HOMECOMINGS.  309 

But  in  the  early  part  of  January,  seeing  a 
tedious  recovery  still  ahead  of  him,  and  the  hos- 
pital facilities  being  so  limited,  he  asked  to  be 
sent  home  to  be  cared  for  by  his  own  people. 
There  would  be  no  more  fighting,  and  his  stay 
was  an  unnecessary  burden  upon  the  army  offi- 
cials, whose  hands  were  full  trying  to  keep  down 
the  spirit  of  insurrection  that  was  fermenting  the 
camp  over  the  delay  in  the  soldiers'  pay.  To 
relieve  the  strain  upon  the  monej^less  army  cof- 
fers, many  of  the  men  who  had  been  invalided 
were  allowed  to  return  to  their  homes.  Thus  it 
was,  that  Joscelyn,  unconscious  of  the  extent  of 
the  hurt  that  had  come  to  him  —  for  he  had 
written  no  particulars  home  —  and  also  of  his 
dismissal,  answered  a  knock  at  her  door  one 
bleak  January  day,  and  gave  a  great  cry  at 
sight  of  the  weary  man  leaning  against  the 
veranda  railing,  with  an  empty  sleeve  pinned 
helplessly  to  the  bandaged  arm  beneath. 

"  Richard  Clevering !  " 

"  Ay,  Richard  come  back  with  a  crushed  arm, 
but  a  sound  heart  to  claim  you,  unworthj^  though 
he  now  knows  himself  to  be  of  such  a  prize,  Jos- 
ceh^n,  Cornwallis  has  struck  his  martial  colours, 
will  you  surrender  to  me  for  love's  dear  sake  ? " 

He  had  come  into  the  hall  and  closed  the  sway- 
ing door  against  the  wind,  while  she  retreated 
backward  until  she  stood  close  to  the  wall,  her 
hands  behind  her. 

"I  owe  you   life  and   all   the  gratitude   that 


310  JOSCELYN    CHESHIEE. 

means,  but  it  is  out  of  my  love  for  you,  which 
has  grown  with  every  hour  of  my  absence,  that  I 
ask  this  —  will  you  come  to  me,  Joscelyn?" 

She  did  not  speak,  but  slowly  she  shook  her 
head,  her  eyes  meeting  his  with  a  curious  com- 
passion. For  one  long  minute  he  looked  at  her, 
searchingly,  yearningly  ;  then  his  outstretched  arm 
fell  to  his  side. 

"  Then  is  the  war  not  over  for  me,"  he  said 
sadly. 

He  went  with  her  into  the  sitting-room,  and, 
with  the  luxurious  hearth-glow  briglitening  his 
face  and  taking  that  deathly  pallor  out  of  it,  the 
while  her  magnetic  presence  kindled  a  tempestu- 
ous fire  in  his  veins,  he  told  her  the  story  of  that 
final  surrender  and  of  his  hurt,  softening  the 
former  narrative  as  best  he  might,  remembering 
how  she  had  wished  it  otherwise.  Then  with  a 
half-whimsical,  half-pathetic  touch  upon  his  band- 
agred  arm,  he  said  :  — 

"  The  surgeon  said  that  with  time  and  care  this 
would  heal,  but  the  accident  has  left  me  but  one 
hand  wherewith  to  begin  that  other  campaign 
which  means  so  much  to  me,  —  for  if  I  win  you 
not,  I  might  as  well  have  perished  at  the  hands 
of  the  Redcoats." 

As  she  listened,  while  the  afternoon  wore  away, 
she  was  conscious  of  some  change  in  him.  Not 
that  his  tone  showed  less  of  resolution  to  achieve 
his  purpose  ;  it  was  rather  an  absence  of  the  over- 
weening  self-confidence   which   had   so   offended 


HOMECOMINGS.  311 

her  in  the  past.  Five  years  of  warfare  and  baffled 
wooing  had  taught  him  something  of  self-distrust, 
something  of  humility  which  became  him  well. 
The  empty  sleeve  and  the  emaciated,  listless  fig- 
ure touched  her  with  a  quick  pity,  in  such  violent 
contrast  were  they  to  his  former  robust  activity 
and  superb  proportions,  so  that  she  sighed  and 
turned  her  face  aside. 

And  he,  on  his  part,  was  studying  her,  finding 
again,  with  a  thrill  of  joy,  the  same  saucy  curves 
about  her  lips,  the  same  glinting  blue  lights  in  her 
eyes  that  had  held  his  heart  captive  in  the  past ; 
and  noting,  too,  the  touch  of  womanly  dignity 
which  had  in  some  wise  supplanted  the  impetu- 
osity of  the  old  days.  The  girl  of  eighteen  had 
become  a  woman  of  twenty-three  since  that  day 
she  had  laughed  down  upon  the  Continentals 
marching  away  to  Valley  Forge.  But  there  was 
not  an  attraction  lost ;  rather  was  every  charm 
ripened  and  perfected  by  the  hallowing  touches 
of  growth  and  development.  If  he  had  loved  her 
in  the  past,  a  thousand  times  more  did  he  love  her 
now  in  her  splendid  womanhood.  Had  she  cared 
for  Barry  ?  Always  the  question  was  a  stab ;  and 
with  it  now  there  came  the  first  quick  doubt  of 
the  final  healing  of  his  arm.  Could  she  ever  love 
him  if  he  should  be  maimed  like  this  forever  ? 

Looking  up  suddenly,  she  found  his  eyes  upon 
her  face  in  such  a  wistful  gaze  that  she  flushed 
involuntarily,  and  a  painful  silence  fell  between 
them.     Intuitively  she  felt  that  this  was  not  the 


312  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

same  Richard  who  had  gone  away,  this  earnest, 
tender  man  with  not  a  trace  of  arrogance  in  his 
manner.  Had  he  alwa3's  been  like  this,  they  need 
not  have  quarrelled.  She  had  been  willing  to 
overlook  much  had  he  only  left  her  a  right  to 
her  own  opinions,  and  treated  the  views  her  father 
had  taught  her  with  respect. 

"  Do  you  know,"  she  said,  breaking  the  pause 
with  a  little  nervous  laugh,  "that  if  you  are  to 
preserve  the  good  will  of  your  neighbours,  you 
must  stay  away  from  me  ? " 

"  Then  do  I  this  minute  forswear  their  friend- 
ship, for  to  stay  from  you  w^ould  be  to  remain  out- 
side of  Paradise.  Only  tell  me  one  thing,  —  you 
did  not  hate  me  for  the  news  I  wrote  you  of 
Barry  ? " 

"Nay,  it  was  the  one  of  your  letters  I  felt 
drawn  to  answer." 

He  took  her  unresisting  hand  and  kissed  it 
softly.  "  If  you  loved  him,  I  would  I  had  died 
in  his  place." 

And  then  again  that  silence  fell  between  them, 
w^hile  at  his  heart  was  biting  that  most  helpless  of 
all  jealousy  —  the  jealousy  of  the  dead.  Against 
a  living  rival  one  may  contend  with  hope  ;  but 
when  that  on  which  the  heart  is  set  has  come  to 
be  but  a  memor}^  incapable  of  blunder  or  cruelty, 
the  contest  becomes  useless,  or  pitifully  unequal. 
Yearningly  Richard's  eyes  studied  the  face  before 
him,  and  yet  he  would  not  ask  her  the  question 
that  burned  in  his  heart.     Some  day  she  would 


HOMECOMINGS.  313 

tell  him  the  truth  of  her  own  accord ;  until  then 
he  must  wait  and  suffer. 

His  return,  she  foresaw,  was  to  be  to  her  at 
once  a  relief  and  an  embarrassment,  for  she 
would  not  consent  to  his  making  public  her 
share  in  his  escape  of  the  winter,  lest  it  look  like 
a  plea  on  her  part  for  a  cessation  of  hostilities. 

"I  have  held  my  own  against  them  all  these 
years ;  1  will  not  ask  for  any  terras,  now  that  the 
end  has  come,  and  my  side  has  gone  down  in  de- 
feat," she  said. 

"  But,  Joscelyn,  think  how  they  would  adore  you 
for  such  a  service  to  their  countrj'^ !  My  informa- 
tion was  most  useful  to  General  Greene." 

"  I  did  it  not  for  sake  of  their  country." 

"  Well,  then,  for  sake  of  their  countryman.  They 
love  me,  if  you  do  not."  He  leaned  toward  her 
laughing,  yet  pleading ;  and  she  noted  how  hon- 
est and  pleasant  were  his  eyes.  But  she  held  to 
her  point  against  all  of  his  arguments;  and  so 
he  was  feign  to  yield  except  in  regard  to  his 
mother;  there  he  was  firm. 

"  I  never  dreamed  but  that  she  knew,  for  the 
quick  movements  of  the  last  campaign  left  no 
time  for  letters  to  reach  me  from  home.  Had  I 
not  thought  you  would  tell  her  as  soon  as  the 
British  were  well  out  of  town,  I  should  have 
asked  a  furlough,  and  come  home  to  set  you 
right.  To  think  what  you  have  suffered  for 
saving  my  poor  life ! " 

And  so  it  was  that  half  an  hour  later  Mistress 


314  JOSCELTN    CHE8HIEE. 

Cleveri ng  came  hastily  in  without  the  ceremony 
of  knocking,  and  taking  Joscelyn  in  her  arms, — 
ta  Mistress  Cheshire's  amazement,  —  said  many 
grateful  and  affectionate  things. 

"  When  I  think  of  what  you  have  done  for  us, 
I  am  bowed  down  with  humiliation  for  the  cruelty 
with  which  I  have  requited  you.  Oh,  my  dear,  my 
dear!  had  you  only  told  me  and  your  mother  at 
the  time,  things  would  have  been  very  different." 

"Yes,"  answered  the  girl,  demurely,  "so  differ- 
ent that  Master  Clevering's  life  would  have  paid 
the  penalty  of  his  daring,  l^ay,  it  was  a  game 
at  which  only  one  could  play  with  safety.  You 
could  have  done  naught  but  share  my  anxiety, 
and  that  were  no  help." 

"  And  to  think  how  I  have  scolded  and  blamed 
you  for  the  quarrel  between  me  and  Ann,"  said 
her  mother,  tearfully ;  but  Joscelyn's  tender 
answer  comforted  her. 

"  And  here  comes  Betty  to  make  her  peace  with 
you,  too,"  Aunt  Clevering  said,  as  the  breathless 
girl  entered, 

"  Oh,  Betty  and  I  have  been  friends  these  many 
weeks,  as  dear  Mistress  Strudwick  can  testify," 
Joscelyn  said,  putting  her  arm  affectionately 
around  Betty,  who  with  a  grateful  cry  had  sprung 
to  her  side.  And  from  the  doorway,  Richard 
thought  he  had  never  seen  a  more  beautiful 
picture. 

Thus  was  the  breach  that  had  yawned  between 
the  two  families  healed ;   and  the  sorest  ache  in 


HOMECOMINGS.  315 

Joscelyn's  heart  was  cured  as  she  witnessed  the 
happiness  of  her  mother  who,  with  a  firmness 
scarcely  to  be  expected,  had  given  up  her  old 
friend  and  held  stanchly  to  her  daughter,  although 
she  held  that  daughter  to  blame.  It  was  touching 
to  see  her  childish  delight  in  the  renewal  of  the  old 
relations.  A  dozen  times  a  day  she  was  in  and  out 
of  the  two  houses,  for  Richard's  wound  afforded  her 
many  pretexts  for  kindly  ministrations.  He  never 
left  his  bed  except  to  lie  on  the  sofa  by  the  win- 
dow, for  his  strength  seemed  suddenly  to  have 
failed  him  after  the  sustained  effort  he  had  made 
to  reach  home.  Often  he  wished  Joscelyn  would 
come  in  her  mother's  stead ;  but  for  her  own 
reasons  the  girl  kept  her  distance,  so  that  some- 
times he  did  not  see  her  for  days  together.  And 
every  day  that  she  stayed  away  the  jealous  pain  bit 
deeper  into  his  heart. 

But  one  day  she  came  of  her  own  accord.  There 
had  been  a  knock  and  the  sound  of  a  man's  voice 
at  the  door,  followed  by  the  maid  making  some 
excuse  for  Mistress  Clevering ;  and  presently, 
when  all  had  grown  silent,  Betty  came  through 
the  sitting-room  with  a  face  so  white  that  Richard 
called  out  from  where  he  lay  to  know  what  was 
the  matter.  But  she  did  not  stop  to  answer,  and 
so  he  waited  in  a  troubled  doubt  while  the  clock 
ticked  off  a  slow  twenty  minutes.  Then  the  door 
opened,  and  Joscelyn  came  straight  up  to  his  couch, 
a  strange  light  of  pleading  in  her  eyes. 

"Richard,"  she   said,  and  his  face  brightened, 


816  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

for  she  had  taken  to  calling  him  Master  Clever- 
ing  with  a  formality  he  hated.  "Richard,  if  a 
man  be  true  and  honest  and  loves  a  woman, 
should  he  not  have  the  chance  to  tell  her  so 
and  win  her  ? " 

"  Most  assuredly." 

"  And  old  feuds  and  differences  of  a  former 
generation,  with  which  he  had  nothing  to  do, 
should  have  no  weight  to  hold  him  back?" 

"  Why  —  what  mean  you  ? " 

"  This ;  that  even  as  you  love  me,"  and  a  brill- 
iant colour  dyed  her  cheeks  at  mention  of  it,  "  so 
does  Eustace  Singleton  love  Betty." 

"I  had  half  guessed  as  much  —  and  I  am 
sorry." 

"  And  Betty  loves  him.  Nay,  lie  still  and  look 
not  so  angrily  at  me.  There  is  no  one  to  blame  ; 
a  woman's  heart,  like  a  man's,  asks  no  permission 
in  the  giving  of  itself." 

"  But  Betty  knew  —  " 

"  Yes,  she  knew  all  the  opposition  in  store  for 
her,  and  she  made  her  own  fight;  but  love  takes 
no  dictation." 

"  Right  well  do  I  know  that." 

"Then  you  have  no  room  for  a  quarrel  with 
her ;  rather  should  your  sympathy  be  on  her  side. 
All  her  happiness  is  set  on  Eustace;  he  is  her 
true  lover,  has  been  for  years,  —  and  I  have 
resolved  so  to  aid  her,  that  you  and  Aunt  Clever- 
ing  shall  not  break  her  heart  by  a  cruel  and  use- 
less separation."     She  stepped  back  and  threw  up 


HOMECOMINGS.  317 

her  head  ;  just  so  had  she  looked  a  year  ago, 
when  she  bade  defiance  to  the  short  colonel 
while  he  himself  crouched  in  her  shadowy  garret. 
For  a  moment  they  gazed  at  each  other  steadily, 
then  she  was  again  beside  him,  her  eyes  luminous 
with  a  gentle  entreaty  :  — 

"Eichard,  if  —  if  I  loved  you  with  all  ray  soul, 
would  you  let  my  mother's  dislike,  if  she  did  dis- 
like you,  stand  between  us  ? " 

"  My  God,  no ! " 

"Eustace  is  a  man  like  you  —  and  Betty  loves 
him  like  that." 

He  saw  the  drift  of  her  meaning  but  he  did  not 
answer,  and  thus  for  another  minute  they  looked 
into  each  other's  eyes  unwaveringly ;  then  his 
gaze  fell,  and  with  a  sudden  delicious  softening 
of  manner,  she  stooped  and  took  his  hand. 

"  Richard,  Eustace  is  yonder  in  my  parlour,  — 
come  back  like  a  brave  man  to  begin  life  all 
over,  and  suffer  an3^thing  to  be  near  Betty.  He 
has  been  denied  entrance  at  your  door.  Bid  me 
bring  him  here  to  you.  If  not  —  then  will  I  take 
Betty  to  him,  even  though  I  should  thus  lose 
yours  and  Aunt  Clevering's  friendship  forever." 

"  You  make  hard  terms." 

"  I  am  dealing  with  a  hard  man.'' 

"  Think  you  so,  sweetheart  ?  Methought  I  had 
ever  been  gentle  to  you.  Betty's  happiness  is 
very  dear  to  me  — "  he  broke  off,  sighing.  She 
still  held  his  hand,  or  rather  he  held  hers,  for  his 
was  the   stronger  grasp.      Suddenly,   with    that 


318  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

same  enchanting  gentleness,  she  bent  close  to 
him,  and  laid  her  cheek  against  ■  his  tingling 
fingers :  — ■ 

"Thank  you,  Eichard,  for  yielding;  I  knew 
when  once  you  understood,  you  could  not  be  so 
cruel  as  to  refuse.    I  will  bring  Eustace  at  once." 

"But,  Joscelyn,  I  did  not  say  —  " 

"Oh,  but  you  looked  your  consent  —  and  1 
never  saw  your  eyes  so  beautiful,  such  a  tender 
gray."  He  flushed  with  pleasure,  still,  however, 
protesting,  but  she  was  already  at  the  door, 
whence  she  looked  back  at  him  with  a  roguish 
smile,  "I  shall  give  you  half  an  hour  to  make 
Aunt  Clevering  see  things  as  we  do.  At  the  end 
of  that  time  I  will  be  here  with  Eustace ;  and  if 
you  wish  to  go  on  being  friends  with  me,  be  sure 
to  have  on  your  very  best  manners  and  —  and 
that  beautiful  light  in  your  eyes." 

She  kept  her  word;  no  one  ever  knew  w^hat 
passed  between  Richard  and  his  mother,  but  an 
hour  later  Mistress  Clevering,  stiff  of  lip,  but 
courteous  of  manner,  bade  Betty  take  Master 
Singleton  from  Eichard's  room  to  the  parlour, 
and  find  him  some  refreshment.  And  when 
Betty  had  obeyed,  Joscelyn  softly  closed  the 
door  behind  them,  shutting  them  into  a  rose- 
hued  world  of  their  own,  where  it  were  sacrilege 
for  another  to  intrude.  Upstairs  she  heard 
Eichard  calling  her  entreatingly,  but  remem- 
bering by  what  means  her  victory  over  his  preju- 
dice had  been  won,  she   pretended   not  to  hear, 


HOMECOMINGS.  319 

but  ran  swiftly  into  the  street,  and  reached  Mis- 
tress Strudwick's  door  with  such  a  glowing  face 
that  that  lady  exclaimed  :  — 

"  Hoity-toity,  child !  still  letting  your  cheeks 
play  the  Eoyalist,  although  the  war  is  done? 
i'our  sweetheart  should  see  you  now.  In  sooth, 
I  think  Amanda  Bryce  w^ould  even  agree  that 
you  are  pretty.  Come  here  and  tell  an  old 
woman  what  all  these  blushes  mean." 

And  Joscelyn's  fibbing  tongue  said  it  was  only 
the  race  she  had  run  in  the  wind  from  her  door. 


CHAPTEE  XXVIII. 

AJS  UNANSWERED  QUESTION. 

*'  As  o'er  the  grass,  beneath  the  larches  there 
We  gayly  stepped,  the  high  noon  overhead, 
Then  Love  was  born  —  v?as  born  so  strong  and  fair." 

—  Gipsy  Song. 

A  LTHOUGH  Joscelyn  continued  to  bold  her- 
•^-^  self  aloof  from  Richard,  yet  she  was  con- 
scious of  his  protecting  influence  in  other  ways 
besides  the  healing  of  that  family  quarrel  that  had 
been  such  a  burden  to  her  and  to  them  all.  Most 
of  the  women  of  her  set  continued  to  cut  her  out- 
right, or  to  treat  her  with  the  scantest  courtesy ; 
but  there  were  no  more  threats  concerning  her; 
the  boys  who  had  hooted  under  her  window  left 
off  their  insolent  ways,  and  the  merchants  and 
tradespeople  no  longer  gave  her  indifferent  service. 
And  in  all  this  she  recognized  Richard's  work,  for 
he  had  openly  espoused  her  cause,  and  had  let  it 
be  known  that  those  who  offended  or  ill-used  her 
should  later  on  be  answerable  to  him.  From  the 
day  of  his  coming,  she  felt  herself  shadowed  by 
an  unobtrusive  but  persistent  watchfulness  that 
plucked  many  a  thorn  from  her  path ;  and  after 
the  stormy  months  that  had  passed,  she  could  not 
but  be  grateful  for  the  calm.  Invalid  though  he 
was,  she  intuitively  felt  his  to  be  the  stronger  will, 

320 


AN    UNANSWERED    QUESTION.  321 

and  made  no  fight  against  what  he  did  in  her  be- 
half. The  protection  for  which  she  had  longed 
had  come  to  her,  and  she  was  glad  to  feel  his 
strength  between  her  and  her  persecutors.  Never 
in  any  boastful  way  did  he  remind  her  of  the 
defeat  of  her  cause  ;  and  tacitly  she  acknowledged 
his  generosity.  The  very  perils  they  had  shared 
drew  them  together  with  that  subtle  bond  of  sym- 
pathy a  mutual  interest  creates  ;  and  so  seldom 
was  there  a  return  to  their  former  sparring  that 
Mistress  Strudwick  protested  she  knew  not  which 
had  the  better  manners. 

"  I  declare,  my  dear,"  she  said,  pinching  Josce- 
lyn's  cheek,  "you  are  so  beautifully  behaved  of 
late  that  I  begin  to  find  you  a  bit  tiresome.  Me- 
thinks  I  must  stir  up  Amanda  Bryce  to  pay  you 
a  visit  and  talk  over  the  war,  or  else  we'll  all  be 
stao^natino;  for  lack  of  excitement." 

"  Well,  after  these  eight  years  of  fermentation, 
stagnation  is  just  now  the  special  estate  to  which 
I  aspire." 

"  So  ?  "Well,  Richard  here  prefers  the  estate  of 
matrimony.  Is  it  not  true,  my  lad  ? "  And  from 
the  sofa  Richard's  eyes  said  yes ;  whereupon  the 
old  lady  went  on,  nodding  her  head  with  mock 
solemnity, "  And  since  one  of  you  wants  stagnation 
and  one  wants  matrimony,  I  am  not  so  sure  but 
that  you  are  of  the  same  mind,  for  some  folk  find 
these  things  of  a  piece.  And  so,  miss,  you  may 
have  come  around  to  Richard's  way  of  thinking 
after  all," 


322  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

And  seeing  Joscelyn  stiffen,  Eichard  was  sorry 
that  the  conversation  had  taken  such  a  personal 
turn ;  for  the  two  had  come  in  to  pay  him  a  visit. 
That  was  one  thing  that  troubled  him  —  she  never 
came  by  herself;  always  it  was  her  mother  or 
Betty  or  Janet  Cameron  she  brought  with  her  as 
though  she  feared  to  trust  herself  alone  with  him, 
wishing,  perchance,  to  hear  no  more  of  his  love- 
makino-.  And  even  with  these  others  she  came  so 
seldom.  He  could  not  go  to  her,  for  the  hard 
rough  journey  home  had  racked  his  arm  and  set  the 
fever  to'throbbing  again  in  his  blood,  and  he  must 
remain  quiet,  or  dire  consequences  were  threatened. 

But  one  February  night,  when  she  had  stayed 
away  several  days,  and  the  longing  in  his  breast 
grew  unbearable,  he  sent  for  her.  The  wind  with- 
out howled  like  some  hungry  creature  seeking  its 
prey,  and  the  white-fingered  spirit  of  the  snow- 
storm tapped  weirdly  at  his  window.  But  he  gave 
it  no  heed  ;  storm  or  shine,  he  must  see  her  this 
night  of  all  others;  and  so  a  word  of  entreaty 
was  sent  across  the  street.  She  came  at  once,  a 
brilliant  apparition  in  a  scarlet  shawl  over  which 
the  snow  lay  powdered  in  shining  crystals ;  on  her 
lips  and  in  her  eyes  the  smile  of  which  he  had 
dreamed  in  the  copper  and  crimson  sunsets  on  the 
prison-ship.  He  gathered  her  cold  hands  into  his 
feverish  ones. 

"  You  knew  I  must  see  you  this  night? " 

"  Yes  ;  I  felt  you  would  send  for  me,  for  I  knew 
we  were  thinking  of  the  same  things." 


AN   UNANSWERED    QUESTION.  323 

"  A  year  ago  to-night  you  and  I  stood  in  jeopardy 
of  our  lives." 

She  nodded  ;  all  day  she  had  been  living  over 
those  fearful  hours  of  which  this  day  was  the 
anniversary. 

"  Yes,  a  year  ago  to-night  Tarleton  held  us  in 
his  toils." 

"  We  have  never  talked  of  that  dreadful  time ; 
now  I  want  you  to  tell  me  everything  you  can 
recall  of  it.     Sit  down." 

As  she  obeyed,  tlie  wide  shawl  fell  away  and  left 
in  sight  the  silver  brocade  of  her  gown,  and  her 
shoulders  rising  white  and  beautiful  from  the  lace 
of  the  low  bodice.  He  started,  and  raised  himself 
upon  his  elbow.  Was  he  dreaming?  No;  the 
powder  and  the  rose  were  in  her  hair,  the  saucy 
patch  at  the  corner  of  her  mouth.  She  had  not 
forgotten  ;  just  so  had  she  looked  when  she  faced 
Tarleton,  and  risked  her  womanhood  for  his  own 
safety.  He  could  not  speak,  but  his  eyes  did  full 
homage  to  her  beauty. 

"  I  knew  you  would  send  for  me,  so  I  was 
ready,"  she  said,  and  smiled  again.  So  it  was 
for  him  she  had  robed  herself  thus !  —  there 
was  a  thrill  of  ecstasy  in  his  veins.  And  then 
when  he  still  did  not  speak,  for  sheer  joy  of 
looking  at  her,  she  began  to  talk  of  that  terrible 
day  ;  and  both  of  them  lived  over  in  a  quick  rush 
of  memory  all  its  hopes  and  fears,  its  uncertainties 
and  dangers.  Her  fingers  were  icy  cold,  and  the 
very  tremors  that  had  then  possessed  her,  crept 


324  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

again  through  her  veins  as  she  went  from  scene 
to  scene,  and  he  learned  for  the  first  time  all  of 
her  deceptions  and  trials.  So  absorbed  was  she 
that  she  did  not  even  know  he  had  taken  her 
hands  in  his,  until  she  felt  the  hot  pressure  at 
the  end  of  her  narrative.  Then  when  there 
seemed  nothing  left  to  tell,  and  he  still  looked 
at  her  in  a  silence  more  eloquent  than  words, 
she  grew  restless  and  rose  to  go;  but  he  caught 
her  skirt. 

"Not  yet,  not  yet!  Betty  is  happy  with  her 
lover  in  the  parlour,  and  mother  is  somewhere 
down  there  acting  propriety  or  else  fast  asleep. 
For  this  one  evening,  at  least,  you  shall  belong  to 

me." 

And  then  when  those  hot,  trembling  fingers  had 
drawn  her  again  to  her  seat,  he  went  on :  — 

"  There  is  one  question  I  have  wanted  to  ask  you 
all  these  months  —  "  And  then,  for  very  fear  of 
her  answer,  he  hesitated  and  substituted  another. 
"  Why  did  you  not  come  back  to  me  that  last 
night?  You  knew  I  was  waiting  for  you,  long- 
ing for  you  with  every  heart-throb." 

"  It  was  so  late." 

"Late?  What  mattered  an  hour  on  the  dial 
when  I  wanted  you  so  much?" 

And  she  flushed  and  hesitated,  remembering  she 
had  not  gone  back  at  that  unseemingly  hour  lest  he 
should  misunderstand  her;  men  were  so  cold  in 
their  judgments.  Looking  at  him  now  she  was 
ashamed  of  that  doubt  of  him. 


AN    UNANSWERED    QUESTION.  325 

"Was  it  in  truth  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  or  — 
or  because  of  what  Barry  said  to  you  on  the  stair  ? 
I  opened  the  attic  door  and  saw  you,  and  I  knew 
he  was  talking  of  his  love.  My  God,  how  I 
envied  him !  Was  it  for  that  you  stayed  away 
from  me  ? " 

She  turned  her  head  aside  with  a  gesture  that 
hurt  him  like  a  knife-thrust.  Then  the  question 
that  had  burnt  in  his  thoughts,  and  filled  his 
heart  with  cankering  jealousy  all  these  weeks, 
came  out :  — 

"  Joscelyn,  did  you  love  him  ?  Tell  me  the  truth 
in  mercy." 

Slowly  her  eyes  came  back  to  him,  soft  and  blue, 
and  kindled  with  a  flame  he  had  never  seen  before. 
He  rose  on  his  elbow  to  meet  the  answer,  eager 
yet  fearful ;  but  before  she  could  speak,  Betty 
opened  the  door. 

"Eustace  and  I  are  coming  to  sit  with  you 
awhile,  Eichard,  for  you  two  must  be  better 
acquainted,"  she  said  to  him ;  and  with  the 
blindness  that  is  a  part  of  love,  neither  she  nor 
Eustace  saw  that  their  coming  was  unwelcome. 
Before  they  left,  Joscelyn  had  slipped  away, 
carrying  his  question  and  its  answer  in  her 
heart.  But  before  she  went  to  bed,  she  opened 
the  box  where  she  kept  her  treasures,  and  kneel- 
ing in  front  of  her  fire,  laid  upon  the  glowing 
embers  the  scarlet  sash  of  an  officer  in  the  king's 
service. 

"  I  have  no  right  to  keep  you  any  longer,"  she 


3^6  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

whispered,  as  the  silk  cracked  and  crinkled,  and 
passed  away  in  a  smoke-fringed  flame ;  "  no  right, 
for  now  I  know,  I  know  ! " 

The  quiet  of  the  town  was  now  frequently 
broken  ;  for  as  February  drew  to  a  close,  some  of 
the  soldiers  began  to  straggle  home,  some  on  fur- 
lough, some  on  dismissal.  Billy  Bryce,  hungry  for 
the  toothsome  things  in  his  mother's  pantry  and  im- 
patient for  a  sight  of  the  yellow  curls  that  sunned 
themselves  on  Janet's  head,  came  first.  But  ten 
minutes  spent  in  that  young  woman's  company  so 
dampened  his  spirits,  that  for  daj^s  his  mother's 
utmost  efforts  in  culinary  arts  failed  to  tempt  him. 
Janet  knew  the  very  hour  of  his  arrival,  and  she 
also  knew  that  it  was  two  hours  before  he  came  to 
seek  her.  She  could  not  know  that  his  stay  with 
his  mother  had  been  as  unwilling  as  it  Avas  dutiful ; 
so  to  complicate  matters  a  little  more  she  had 
gone  out  to  pay  some  calls  that  might  have 
waited  a  month.  But  he  found  her  at  last  on 
Josceljm's  porch,  her  hands  in  her  muff,  her  curls 
bobbing  from  under  her  hood  to  the  fur-trimraed 
tippet  below,  where  the  winter  sunshine  seemed  to 
gather  itself  into  a  focus.  He  waved  to  her  from 
halfway  down  the  square,  but  she  only  squinted 
up  her  eyes  as  in  a  vain  effort  at  recognition. 

"  Well,  I  declare,"  she  exclaimed  patronizingly, 
as  he  sprang  eagerly  up  the  steps,  "if  it  isn't 
Mistress  Bryce's  little  Billy  !  Why,  Billy,  child, 
you  must  have  grown  quite  an  inch  since  you 
went  away.     How  is  your  dear  mother  to-day  ? " 


AN    UNANSWERED    QUESTION.  327 

Her  tone  and  manner  were  indescribablv 
superior,  as  though  she  were  talking  to  a  child  of 
six,  so  that  the  amazed  and  abashed  boy,  instead 
of  hugging  her  in  his  long  arms  as  he  wanted  to, 
took  the  tips  of  the  little  fingers  she  put  out  to 
him,  and  stammeringly  and  solicitously  asked  if 
she  had  been  quite  well  since  he  saw  her  last.  She 
said  it  was  a  long  time  to  remember,  but  she 
wouid  do  the  best  she  could,  and  immediately 
beo^an  to  count  off  on  her  fincrers  the  number  of 
headaches  and  toothaches  she  had  had  in  the  past 
two  years ;  until  Josceh^n,  sorry  for  the  boy's  un- 
provoked misery,  stopped  her  abrupth",  and  finall}'- 
sent  Billy  across  the  street  to  pour  out  his  disap- 
pointment to  Richard. 

"Janet,  you  little  barbarian,  you  have  no 
heart ! " 

"  Oh,  yes  I  have,"  replied  that  imperturbable 
young  woman ;  "  I  have  a  great  big  heart  for  a 
grown  man,  but  you  see  I  do  not  particularly  care 
for  children  who  are  still  dangling  at  their  mother's 
apron  string." 

Even  a  lecture  from  Richard,  to  whom  she  was 
much  attached,  did  her  no  good  ;  for  all  the  while 
he  was  speaking  she  sat  studying  the  effect  of  her 
high-heeled  shoe  on  Betty's  blue  footstool,  and 
answered  his  peroration  about  Bilh^'s  broken 
heart  with  the  utterly  irrelevant  assertion  that 
Frederick  Wyley  said  she  had  the  prettiest  foot  in 
the  colonies.  Did  Richard  agree  with  him  ?  So 
Billy's  cause  was  not  advanced  any,  and  Richard 


328  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

besan  to   advise   him   to  think  no  more  of  this 
yellow-haired  tormentor. 

"  I  declare,  Billy  Bryce  looks  like  a  child  with 
perpetual  cramps,"  Mistress  Strudwick  exclaimed 
to  Joscelyn  one  day,  when  the  lad  passed  the 
window  where  the  two  sat ;  and  then  she  glanced 
down  the  room  to  her  medicine-box. 

"  But  it  is  a  course  of  sweets,  not  bitters,  that  he 
needs,"  lauo:hed  Joscelvn.  "  It's  his  heart  and  not 
his  stomach  that  ails  Billy." 

"  Half  the  lovesickness  in  the  world  is  nothing 
but  dyspepsia ;  mighty  few  cases  of  disappointed 
affection  outlast  a  torpid  liver." 

"  I  never  heard  you  make  such  an  unsenti- 
mental remark." 

"  You  never  heard  me  tell  such  a  truth.  Bone- 
set  and  senna  is  the  thing  for  Billy,  and  I'll  see 
that  he  gets  a  bottle  ;  if  it  does  not  cure  his  dis- 
appointment, it  will  at  least  kill  off  that  particu- 
lar brand  of  long  face  he  is  wearing.  No  wonder 
Janet  turns  up  her  nose  at  him." 

"  Yes,  I  begin  to  think  she  is  permanently  at 
outs  with  him." 

Then  other  soldiers  began  to  arrive.  Thomas 
Nash  got  sick-leave  from  Washington's  staff; 
and  from  the  south  came  Master  Strudwick, 
more  anxious  for  a  sight  of  home  and  wife  than 
for  the  gold  Avhich  the  dissatisfied  army  was 
awaiting;  and  out  of  the  north  came  Peter 
Kuffin,  a  weird  wraith  of  his  former  self,  to  tell 
anew  the  horrible  story  of  the  prison-ships.     The 


AN   UNANSWERED    QUESTION.  329 

other  Hillsboro'  man,  who  had  been  with  him  had 
succumbed  to  the  plague,  and  gone  to  swell  the 
number  of  those  at  whose  shallow  graves  the 
hungry  sea  was  forever  calling. 

"  And  Dame  Grant  ? "  asked  Richard,  when 
Peter  came  to  see  him. 

"  She,  too,  fell  a  victim  to  the  disease  of  the 
hulks,  and  sorely  did  we  miss  her.  I  knew  you 
had  escaped  in  safety,  because  one  day  she  came 
to  the  ship  wearing  a  new  woollen  hood,  and 
when  we  twitted  her  about  it  over  the  rail,  ask- 
ing her  if  it  was  a  lover's  gift,  she  said  that  Dick 
Clevering's  sweetheart  had  sent  it  to  her  out  of 
gratitude  from  the  south." 

"I  helped  to  knit  it,"  Betty  cried,  while  Josce- 
lyn's  eyes  were  not  lifted  from  the  floor.  In  the 
semi-twilight  of  the  room,  Richard  reached  out 
and  touched  her  hand  gently. 

"  It  was  like  your  generous  heart." 

"  But  I  made  it  out  of  the  reddest  wool  I  could 
find,  with  never  a  touch  of  blue  or  buff,"  she 
answered,  laughing ;  but  Richard  was  content. 

Nor  did  these  home-coming  men  bring  the  only 
tidings  from  the  outside  world.  Now  and  then 
letters  came  that  set  the  tongues  to  wagging; 
now  with  news  of  Washington's  refusal  of  a 
crown,  now  with  a  description  of  Mary  Single- 
ton's marriage  to  Edward  Moore.  Janet  refused 
persistently  to  show  her  letters  which  came  in  the 
Hahfax  post,  but  one  day  Richard  had  one  from 
Colborn  that  made  him  laugh  with  delight :  — 


330  JOSCELYN    CHESHIEE. 

"  The  miniature  is  set  in  a  narrow  gold  frame,  with- 
out jewels ;  for  although  I  won  my  promotion,  it  was 
only  a  lieutenancy.  However,  I  am  content.  It  was 
at  Guilford  Court-house,  in  your  own  Carolina  coun- 
try, the  day  Tarleton  was  wounded.  Soon  I  am  going 
home,  with  my  pockets  full  of  American  pebbles,  to 
claim  the  original,  and  bring  her  back  here  to  this 
great  country  to  enjoy  the  freedom  I  am  glad  you 
won." 

And  when  Josceljn  went  home,  after  hearing 
the  letter  read,  she  again  opened  her  box  of 
treasures  and  took  from  it  a  shining  gold  piece, 
and  looked  at  it  with  a  startled  sweetness  in  her 
eyes. 


"'My  heart's  prisoner  for  time  and  eternitv.' " 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE   END    OF   THE   THREAD. 

**  Does  not  all  the  blood  within  me 
Leap  to  meet  thee,  leap  to  meet  thee, 
As  the  spring  to  meet  the  sunshine  ! " 

—  "Hiawatha." 

A  FTEE.  a  few  weeks  Richard  was  able  to  leave 
■^-^  his  couch  and  move  about  a  little,  still  ham- 
pered, however,  by  splints  and  bandages;  for  in 
his  fevered  tossings  he  had  hurt  his  arm  anew,  and 
the  setting  had  to  be  gone  over  again.  The  doc- 
tor's face  was  very  grave  as  he  warned  him  against 
another  accident. 

One  afternoon,  being  lonely  and  having  no 
better  way  to  pass  the  time,  he  went  with  Betty 
to  her  sewing  society.  There  he  protested  he 
wished  to  make  himself  useful,  and  was  quite 
willing  to  snip  threads  and  tie  knots.  But  his 
offer  was  received  with  scoffs,  and  instead  he  was 
forthwith  enthroned  in  the  best  chair,  served  with 
coffee  by  one  girl,  and  with  cake  by  another,  and 
petted  and  praised  like  a  prince. 

"  And  now,"  said  Janet  Cameron,  taking  the 
stool  at  his  feet  and  preparing  to  look  very  busy, 
"  while  we  sew,  you  shall  tell  us  a  story  of  your 
camp  life,  —  something  that  will  make  our  blood 

331 


332  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

curdle  and  tingle  like  it  used  to  do  when  the  war 
messengers  rode  into  town,  and  we  knew  not  what 
tidings  they  brought." 

"  Yes,  tell  us  a  story.  Master  Clevering,"  they 
all  cried,  and  settled  themselves  to  listen. 

"Let  it  be  about  a  real  hero,  Richard;  and 
make  him  as  tall  as  Goliath  and  as  strong  as  Sam- 
son. We'll  credit  anything  you  say,"  laughed 
Janet,  biting  off  a  length  of  thread. 

"  And  if  you  wish  to  keep  Janet's  attention  to 
the  end,  give  him  jet  black  hair  and  call  him 
Frederick,"  cried  Dorothy  Graham.  \Yhereat 
there  was  a  general  laugh,  and  for  which  person- 
ality the  speaker  got  a  prick  from  Janet's 
needle. 

"  One  need  not  draw  on  his  imagination  for 
heroes  in  these  stirring  times,  Janet.  The  land 
is  full  of  them,"  Eichard  answered,  catching 
one  of  her  shining  curls  and  twisting  it  about  his 
finger,  "  though  of  course  jet  black  hair  and  the 
name  of  Frederick  is  a  combination  to  inspire  any 
story-teller." 

And  then  he  told  them  of  Monmouth  day, — 
of  its  exultant  beginning,  its  strange  changes  and 
chances,  its  palsying  despair,  its  victory  snatched 
from  defeat.  And  while  the  story  was  nearing 
its  climax  and  the  needles  were  idlest,  who  should 
pass  along  the  opposite  sidewalk  but  Mistress 
Joscelyn  Cheshire,  her  skirts  held  daintily  out  of 
the  slush  and  snow,  while  a  riotous  March  wind 
set  her  throat  ribbons  in  a  flutter,  and  kissed  her 


THE    END    OF   THE   THREAD.  333 

cheeks  to  a  glow  a  lover  might  have  envied.  A 
more  charming  vision  it  was  hard  to  conjure  up, 
and  the  story-teller's  narrative  faltered,  and  his 
words  trailed  off  into  silence  as  he  gazed.  But 
immediately  the  slumbering  ill-will  of  the  semp- 
sters  began  to  show  itself  in  sundry  nods  and 
head  tossings. 

"  There  goes  the  Tory  beauty,"  said  one  sneer- 
mg  voice,  "  parading  herself  before  us  out  of  very 
defiance,  no  doubt." 

"She  has  been  but  to  old  Polly  Little's  to 
carry  her  some  soup,"  Betty  said  hotly. 

"  And  there  was  no  other  afternoon  for  her  to 
go,  and  no  other  path  to  take  but  the  one  by  this 
door  where  we  might  see  her !  You  and  Richard 
are  foolish  to  be  always  defending  her ;  she  showed 
you  small  gratitude  last  winter,  telling  the  secrets 
of  your  house." 

"  Yes ;  and  we  know  she  sent  and  received  spy- 
ing letters  about  us  to  the  British  commander.  I 
never  speak  to  her,  Tory  ingrate  that  she  is !  " 

And  then  while  Betty  fell  to  crying  and  Janet 
scolded  back,  declaring  Joscelyn  was  better  than 
all  of  them,  the  criticisms  grew  so  harsh,  and  so 
incisive  were  the  shrugs  and  lifted  brows,  that 
Richard  forgot  his  wound,  forgot  the  pledge  of 
secrecy  upon  him,  forgot  everything  but  his  anger, 
and  rising  up,  cried  out :  — ■ 

"  Listen  ;  I  will  tell  you  another  story,  not  of  a 
hero,  but  of  a  heroine,  a  slip  of  a  girl  whose  cour- 
age equalled  anything  I  ever  saw  upon  the  bloodi- 


334  JOSCELYN    CHESHIRE. 

est  battle-field,  in  whose  presence  the  bravest  of 
the  brave  must  uncover  in  reverence." 

And  then  he  told  them  the  whole  story  of  his 
hiding  and  escape  while  Cornwallis  held  the  town 
the  winter  gone.  Told  it  forcibly,  graphically  as 
he  knew  how,  putting  Joscelyn  in  such  a  heroic 
light  that  her  maligners  held  down  their  heads  in 
shame  and  confusion,  feeling  themselves  to  be  all 
unworthy  in  comparison  ;  and  Dorothy  was  cry- 
ing upon  her  sewing,  and  Janet's  arm  was  about 
his  neck  in  an  unconscious,  breathless  gratitude 
for  Joscelyn. 

And  those  letters  which  had  excited  their 
wrath?  —  there  was  nothing  of  treason  or  espi- 
onage in  them ;  they  were  but  love  notes  from 
a  British  officer  whose  chivalric  homage  had 
been  an  honour  to  any  woman.  He  knew,  for  he 
had  put  her  answers  into  the  breastpocket  of  the 
young  officer  the  day  they  buried  him  from  the 
battle-field  on  the  banks  of  the  river  that  flows 
forever  to  the  sea. 

So  he  finished ;  and  thus  did  Joscelyn  stand 
before  them  at  last  in  her  true  colours. 

Then  with  the  heat  of  his  anger  still  upon  him, 
and  not  waiting  for  Betty,  Kichard  got  his  hat 
and  quitted  the  house.  After  that  scene,  the  air 
of  the  room  stifled  him.  He  could  not  be  sorry 
for  w^hat  he  had  done,  but  he  must  go  straight  to 
Joscelyn  and  tell  her  himself,  and  make  what 
peace  with  her  he  might.  He  could  better  afford 
to  bear  her  anger  than  to  hear  her  maligned  by 


THE    END    OF    THE    THREAD.  335 

those  who  would  be  utterly  incapable  of  her  cour- 
age or  her  sacrifice.  He  had  always  known  he 
must  tell  his  story  if  he  heard  her  slandered. 

He  was  very  weak  from  his  long  stay  indoors, 
and  the  excitement  of  the  scene  through  which 
he  had  just  passed  had  left  his  brain  dizzy,  so  that 
he  was  all  unfit  to  take  the  homeward  journey 
alone.  He  did  not  notice  the  ice  on  the  crossing 
until  suddenly  he  felt  himself  slipping  —  faster, 
faster.  He  made  one  frantic  effort  to  regain  his 
balance,  missed  his  footing,  and  came  down  with 
a  crash  and  a  groan  upon  the  jagged  cobble- 
stones. He  heard  a  woman's  voice  scream  out 
in  terror,  saw  Joscelyn  kneel  beside  him,  and 
then  he  fainted. 

It  destroyed  his  last  chance,  —  that  terrible  fall, 
—  the  doctors  said ;  for  the  arm  had  again  been 
fractured  and  lacerated  beyond  cure,  and  to  lose 
it  was  the  one  hope  of  life ;  and  even  that  hope 
was  but  a  slender  one.  When  Joscelyn  heard 
this,  she  stayed  all  the  afternoon  in  her  room, 
holding  the  gold  piece  very  hard  and  tight  and 
weeping  bitterly. 

But  the  operation  was  successful ;  and  for  long 
days  the  patient  lay  quiet,  getting  back  his  hold 
on  the  world.  His  recovery  was  slower  even 
than  had  been  expected,  but  it  was  sure,  and 
that  was  enough  for  thankfulness.  His  mother 
was  telling  him  this  one  gusty  April  twilight, 
w'hen  Joscelyn  came  into  the  room  on  one  of 
her  rare  visits.     The  door  was  open,  so  they  had 


336  JOSCELYN   CHESHIRE. 

not  known  she  was  there ;  and  stopping  to 
remove  her  wrap,  for  the  day  was  cool  and 
showery,  she  heard  the  end  of  their  talk. 

"Fretting  is  wrong,  Eichard,  You  should  be 
thankful  for  so  sure  a  recovery." 

"  Perchance  I  should  ;  but  what  avails  health 
when  a  man  may  not  have  that  which  is  dearer 
than  the  strength  of  giants?" 

"  And  what  may  that  be,  my  son  ? " 

"Joscelyn.  I  love  her  —  love  her  beyond  all 
words,  all  thoughts;  and  now  I  shall  never 
possess  her." 

"I  had  long  ago  guessed  your  love  for  her," 
his  mother  said  slowly ;  then  added,  after  a  pause, 
"  but  I  see  not  why  you  should  not  possess  her ; 
you  have  a  true  heart,  a  goodly  property,  and  a 
shapely  figure  which  this  accident  will  scarcely 
mar ;  a  man  like  that  has  but  to  ask  —  " 

"Nay,  that  is  just  it;  a  man  maimed  like  me 
has  no  right  to  hamper  a  woman's  life  —  to  ask 
her  love.  She  is  grateful  for  the  protection  I 
have  brought  her,  but  she  has  no  thought  for  me 
beside.  I  lie  here  and  watch  that  clock  every 
hour  of  every  day,  longing  to  see  her  come,  hop- 
ing for  some  sign  of  awakened  love,  but  there  is 
none.  That  she  comes  so  seldom  is  evidence  that 
she  means  me  to  understand  this.  I  shall  never 
dare  ask  her  again  to  marry  me,  but  I  shall  love 
her  always  —  always." 

There  was  an  infinite  pathos  in  the  last  words 
that  silenced  his  mother,  and  drew  something  like 


THE   END   OF   THE   THREAD.  337 

a  sob  from  the  girl  in  the  shadow  of  the  curtained 
door.  How  generous  he  was ;  how  brave  and  true 
he  had  always  been !  Never  once,  even  in  their 
days  of  quarrel  and  make-up,  had  she  known  him 
lacking  in  courage  and  generosity.  What  would 
her  life  be  now  without  him,  for  had  he  not  made 
all  the  crooked  ways  straight  before  her;  had  he 
not  given  her  back  the  love  and  esteem  of  her 
neighbours,  her  old  place  in  the  community? 
Was  it  not  to  him  she  owed  all  this,  and  her 
mother's  happiness  besides?  Gratitude,  did  he 
say?  Surely  that  was  not  all  there  was  in  her 
heart,  for  gratitude  did  not  make  a  girl  shy  and 
sensitive  and  dreamy.  It  was  not  gratitude  that 
had  made  her  weep  so  passionately  over  his  suffer- 
ing and  his  loss,  and  kiss  a  senseless  coin  in  the 
dark  of  her  chamber.  From  that  hour  she  had 
worn  it  in  a  silken  bag  about  her  neck ;  she  drew 
it  out  now  and  held  it  in  her  trembling  fingers. 

Presently  Mistress  Clevering  rose  and  quitted 
the  room  by  another  door,  unwilling  that  Richard 
should  see  her  emotion.  Joscelyn  hesitated  upon 
the  threshold,  held  back  by  a  palpitant  timidity, 
until  across  the  firelit  silence  there  came  her  name 
in  a  sigh  that  was  half  a  sob :  — 

"  Joscelyn  —  lost  —  lost !  " 

Then  with  a  sudden  resolve  she  came  out  of  the 
shadow  into  the  dim  ±ight  of  the  room,  and  kneel- 
ing by  his  couch,  drew  his  one  arm  over  her  shoul- 
der and  laid  her  head  on  his  breast. 

"I  am  here  —  Richard." 


338  JOSCELTN    CHESHIRE. 

"  You  ?  Dear  love,  dear  love,  what  does  this 
mean  ? " 

"Can  you  not  guess?"  she  whispered,  slipping 
the  gold  piece  into  his  hand,  her  own  tremulous 
with  emotion. 

"  I  dare  not." 

"  What  was  the  gold  piece  to  be  ?  "  Her  voice 
was  scarcely  more  than  a  thread  of  sound. 

"  Our  wedding  ring  —  at  least,  I  hoped  so 
once," 

She  pressed  his  fingers  together  over  it,  her 
face  still  hidden  on  his  breast.  "  Give  it  back  to 
me  sometime  —  in  that  shape." 

"  You  mean  you  will  marry  me  ?  Speak  quick, 
beloved ! " 

"  I  mean  that  —  that  the  war  is  over,  and  I  sur- 
render myself  —  your  prisoner,  an  you  will  take 
me." 

"My  heart's  prisoner  for  time  and  eternity; 
thank  God  !  " 

A  burned-out  log  snapped  and  fell  to  either  side 
of  the  andirons,  sending  a  shower  of  golden  sparks 
up  the  wide  chimney.  She  raised  her  head  and 
looked  at  him,  and  by  the  fleeting  gleam  of  the 
fire  he  found  at  last  the  love-light  for  which  he 
had  so  long  waited  shining  in  the  depths  of  her 
sea-blue  eyes. 


-M 


V 


